Bhartruhari Sataka Trisati - Srungaara Satakam - Telugu

భర్తృహరి is celebrated for the శతక-త్రిశతి - three collections of roughly a hundred verses each: నీతి శతకం, శృంగార శతకం, and వైరాగ్య శతకం. These are among the most quoted సుభాషితాని in Sanskrit literature because each శ్లోక is compact, memorable, and psychologically sharp.

శృంగార శతకం explores శృంగార (love/beauty/romance) in many shades: the first spark of attraction, playful conversation, the language of glances, union (సంభోగ), separation (విరహ), and the way desire can both uplift and unsettle the mind. It is not only about physical beauty; it is also a study of longing, imagination, vulnerability, pride, and reconciliation - the inner choreography of relationship.

The text remains timeless because the emotions it depicts are timeless. The setting may be a palace or a forest-grove, but the dynamics are familiar: how a half-smile can change a conversation, how uncertainty magnifies small signals, how distance reshapes memory, and how seasons mirror moods. Verses like సమస్తభావైః ఖలు బంధనం స్త్రియః, స్మృతా భవతి తాపాయ, and తావదేవామృతమయీ are remembered and quoted because they capture these patterns with precision.

A good way to read శృంగార శతకం is as a mirror for చిత్త (mind): notice what in the verse is about the beloved, and what is actually about the observer's own projections, cravings, and sensitivities. When relevant, some verses also hint at వివేక (discernment) - seeing how attachment forms and how it can be handled with maturity.

శంభుస్వయంభుహరయో హరిణేక్షణానాం
యేనాక్రియంత సతతం గృహకుంభదాసాః ।
వాచాం అగోచరచరిత్రవిచిత్రితాయ
తస్మై నమో భగవతే మకరధ్వజాయ ॥ 2.1 ॥

ఛందః (వసంతతిలకా): This is in వసంతతిలకా (సమ-వృత్త) Chandas/Meter: 4 పాదాః, 14 అక్షరాః per పాద; లఘు/గురు pattern (per పాద) is `GGLGLLLGLLGLGG`.

Meaning (పదార్థ):
శంభుః - Shiva
స్వయంభుః - Brahma (self-born)
హరిః - Vishnu
శంభుస్వయంభుహరయో - Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu (sandhi: శంభుః + స్వయంభుః + హరిః)
హరిణ - deer; doe
ఈక్షణ - eye; glance
హరిణేక్షణాః - doe-eyed women (in verse: హరిణేక్షణానాం)
యేన - by whom
ఆక్రియంత - were made; were compelled to become
యేనాక్రియంత - were made by whom (sandhi: యేన + ఆక్రియంత)
సతతం - always; constantly
గృహ - house; household
కుంభ - (water-)pot
దాసః - servant; one made to do errands
గృహకుంభదాసాః - household pot-servants; domestic errand-runners
వాచాం - of speech; of words
అగోచరః - beyond reach; not accessible
చరిత్రం - conduct; deeds; "play" of action
విచిత్రితా - wondrous; astonishing; variegated
అగోచరచరిత్రవిచిత్రితాయ - to him whose wondrous deeds are beyond speech (compound)
తస్మై - to him
నమః - salutations
భగవతే - to the Lord; the glorious one
మకర - the మకర (sea-creature motif)
ధ్వజః - banner; sign
మకరధ్వజః - Cupid ("whose banner is the మకర"); in verse: మకరధ్వజాయ

Translation (భావార్థ):
Salutations to Cupid, whose wondrous play is beyond words - he by whom even Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu are made ceaseless household errand-servants for doe-eyed women.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
భర్తృహరి opens with a deliberate exaggeration to set the theme: కామ (desire) is not "a small weakness" but a power that can bend even the mightiest. In everyday life, the same truth appears when highly capable people become irrational for the sake of attention, validation, or infatuation - a senior leader making poor decisions to impress, a student derailing studies for a relationship, or someone compromising values to keep a fragile bond. The practical అనుసంధాన is not to fear love, but to add వివేక (discernment) and సంయమ (self-restraint): keep boundaries, avoid secrecy, and check whether your actions are serving your deeper priorities or merely serving a moment of fascination.

One more layer is this: Let beauty become reverence rather than grasping. ఆది శంకరాచార్య opens సౌందర్య లహరీ with శివః శక్త్యా యుక్తో యది భవతి శక్తః ప్రభవితుం, hinting that beauty and power are inseparable from awareness. Seen that way, admiration can refine the heart. When respect is present, beauty uplifts; when entitlement is present, beauty binds.

స్మితేన భావేన చ లజ్జయా భియా
పరాణ్ముఖైరర్ధకటాక్షవీక్షణైః ।
వచోభిరీర్ష్యాకలహేన లీలయా
సమస్తభావైః ఖలు బంధనం స్త్రియః ॥ 2.2 ॥

ఛందః (వంశస్థ): This is in వంశస్థ (సమ-వృత్త) Chandas/Meter: 4 పాదాః, 12 అక్షరాః per పాద; లఘు/గురు pattern (per పాద) is `LGLGGLLGLGLG`.

Meaning (పదార్థ):
స్మితేన - by a smile
భావేన - by an emotion; by an expressive mood
చ - and
లజ్జయా - by modesty; by bashfulness
భియా - by fear; by coy apprehension
పరాణ్ముఖైః - with faces turned away; with an averted look
అర్ధ - half
కటాక్ష - sidelong glance
వీక్షణ - seeing; look
అర్ధకటాక్షవీక్షణైః - with half-sidelong glances
వచోభిః - by words; by speech
ఈర్ష్యా - jealousy
కలహేన - by quarrel; by playful dispute
లీలయా - by play; by teasing sport
సమస్త - all; entire
భావైః - by moods; by emotional states
ఖలు - indeed; surely
బంధనం - bondage; a binding snare; an entanglement
స్త్రియః - women

Translation (భావార్థ):
By smiles and moods, by modesty and coy fear, by averted faces and half-sidelong glances, by words, jealousy, quarrels, and playful teasing - by all these moods indeed women become a binding snare for the mind.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This verse is a compact psychology of attraction: not a single "weapon", but a whole spectrum of signals - smile, silence, shyness, irritation, reconciliation - that keeps attention captured. In modern relationships too, much of bonding happens through micro-signals: a delayed reply, a sudden warmth, a playful argument, a half-compliment that invites reassurance. The practical lesson is వివేక (discernment): notice when your peace is being outsourced to another person's changing expressions. Healthy love deepens steadiness; unhealthy attachment creates dependency on emotional fluctuations. A simple practice is to communicate clearly, interpret charitably, and keep your core routines intact, so that affection enriches life instead of hijacking it.

A helpful way to apply this is: Timing matters. Do not try to resolve everything at peak emotion. Pause, cool down, then speak. When you repair quickly and gently, love becomes a place of safety; when you turn small quarrels into ego battles, romance becomes exhaustion. Let the verse nudge you toward calmer repair.

భ్రూచాతుర్యాత్కుష్చితాక్షాః కటాక్షాః
స్నిగ్ధా వాచో లజ్జితాంతాశ్చ హాసాః ।
లీలామందం ప్రస్థితం చ స్థితం చ
స్త్రీణాం ఏతద్భూషణం చాయుధం చ ॥ 2.3 ॥

ఛందః (శాలినీ): This is in శాలినీ (త్రిష్టుభ్ class) Chandas/Meter: 4 పాదాః, 11 అక్షరాః per పాద; లఘు/గురు pattern (per పాద) is `GGGG GLGGLGG`; యతి (pause) is after the 4th syllable in each పాద (and sometimes also after 7).

Meaning (పదార్థ):
భ్రూ - eyebrow
చాతుర్య - cleverness; skill; dexterity
భ్రూచాతుర్యాత్ - from/through clever eyebrow-play
కుచిత - bent; slightly contracted
అక్ష - eye
కుష్చితాక్షాః - with slightly contracted eyes
కటాక్షాః - sidelong glances
స్నిగ్ధాః - tender; affectionate; warm
వాచః - words; speech (in verse: వాచో)
లజ్జిత - bashful; modest
అంతః - ending; concluded
లజ్జితాంతాః - ending in bashfulness (as of a smile or laugh)
హాసాః - laughter; smiles
లీలా - play; graceful sport
మందం - slowly; gently
ప్రస్థితం - (their) going forth; gait; walking
స్థితం - (their) standing; posture
స్త్రీణాం - of women
ఏతత్ - this
భూషణం - ornament; adornment
చ - and
ఆయుధం - weapon

Translation (భావార్థ):
Sidelong glances shaped by clever eyebrow-play and slightly contracted eyes, affectionate speech, laughter that ends in modesty, and a gentle playful gait - whether walking or standing - these are for women both ornament and weapon.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse highlights "soft power": charm is not only beauty, but timing, expression, and presence. In modern settings, this can be seen in how a well-placed look, a warm tone, or a playful pause can change a tense conversation more effectively than arguments. The ethical point is important: the same skills can heal or manipulate. If you have influence, use it as దయా (kindness) and సత్య (honesty), not as control. If you are on the receiving side, remember that attraction can cloud judgment; take decisions (commitments, money, boundaries) when the mind is calm, not when it is intoxicated by charm.

To carry this wisely: Charm is power, so bring అహిమ్సా (non-harm) into speech. Teasing can be sweet, but sarcasm and manipulation create long shadows. Choose words that leave the other person with dignity. That is how attraction matures into intimacy.

క్వచిత్సభ్రూభంగైః క్వచిదపి చ లజ్జాపరిగతైః
క్వచిద్భూరిత్రస్తైః క్వచిదపి చ లీలావిలలితైః ।
కుమారీణాం ఏతైర్మదనసుభగైర్నేత్రవలితైః
స్ఫురన్నీలాబ్జానాం ప్రకరపరికీర్ణా ఇవ దిశః ॥ 2.4 ॥

ఛందః (శిఖ్హరినీ): This is in శిఖ్హరినీ (సమ-వృత్త) Chandas/Meter: 4 పాదాః, 17 అక్షరాః per పాద; లఘు/గురు pattern (per పాద) is `LGGGGG LLLLL GGLLLG`; యతి (pause) is after the 6th and 11th syllables in each పాద.

Meaning (పదార్థ):
క్వచిత్ - somewhere; at times
స - with
భ్రూ - eyebrow
భంగ - bend; arch; movement
సభ్రూభంగైః - with eyebrow-bends
క్వచిదపి - somewhere/at times also (sandhi: క్వచిదపి = క్వచిత్ + అపి)
అపి - also
లజ్జా - modesty; shyness
పరిగత - surrounded by; accompanied by
లజ్జాపరిగతైః - accompanied by modesty
భూరి - much; greatly
త్రస్త - frightened; startled
భూరిత్రస్తైః - greatly frightened (looks)
లీలా - play; grace
విలలిత - sportive; playfully moving
లీలావిలలితైః - with playful movements
కుమారీణాం - of young maidens
ఏతైః - by these
మదన - Cupid; love
సుభగ - auspicious; pleasing; attractive
మదనసుభగైః - pleasing to Cupid; love-stirring
నేత్ర - eye
వలిత - rolling; moving; turning
నేత్రవలితైః - with rolling eyes; with eye-movements
స్ఫురత్ - flashing; shining
నీల - blue
అబ్జ - lotus
నీలాబ్జ - blue lotus
నీలాబ్జానాం - of blue lotuses
ప్రకరపరికీర్ణాః - scattered with clusters
ఇవ - as if; like
దిశః - the directions; quarters

Translation (భావార్థ):
With eyebrow-bends, with modesty, with startled innocence, and with playful grace - with these love-stirring movements of the maidens' rolling eyes - the very directions seem as though they are strewn with clusters of flashing blue lotuses.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The poetic image is vivid: eyes like blue lotuses "scatter" across the world because the observer's attention keeps following them. In today's relationships, this is how fascination works: the mind keeps returning to a single stimulus and begins to color the whole environment with it. A practical use of this insight is to recognize సంస్కార (impressions) forming in real-time: repeated attention strengthens a groove. If you want love to be healthy, let admiration be paired with respect and restraint; if you sense obsession, widen your focus deliberately - work, friends, sleep, and values - so that beauty remains a joy, not a captivity.

A mature reading suggests: From an inner standpoint, remember that the rush is a wave in the mind. ఆది శంకరాచార్య reminds us in ఆత్మ షటకం, మనో బుద్ధ్యహంకార చిత్తాని నాహం (I am not the mind, intellect, ego, or mind-stuff). Returning to that witness does not kill love; it makes love workable, so you can act with dignity instead of being driven.

వక్త్రం చంద్రవికాసి పంకజపరీహాసక్షమే లోచనే
వర్ణః స్వర్ణం అపాకరిష్ణురలినీజిష్ణుః కచానాం చయః ।
బక్షోజావిభకుంభవిభ్రమహరౌ గుర్వీ నితంబస్థలీ
వాచాం హారి చ మార్దవం యువతీషు స్వాభావికం మండనమ్ ॥ 2.5 ॥

ఛందః (శార్దూలవిక్రీడితం): This is in శార్దూలవిక్రీడితం (సమ-వృత్త) Chandas/Meter: 4 పాదాః, 19 అక్షరాః per పాద; లఘు/గురు pattern (per పాద) is `GGGLLGL GLLLG GGLGGLG`; యతి (pause) is after the 7th and 12th syllables in each పాద.

Meaning (పదార్థ):
వక్త్రం - face
చంద్ర - moon
వికాసి - blooming; expanding; shining forth
చంద్రవికాసి - moon-blooming; blooming like the moon
పంకజ - lotus
పరీహాస - mockery; playful superiority
క్షమే - capable of; able to
లోచనే - eyes
పంకజపరీహాసక్షమే - capable of "mocking" the lotus (outshining it)
వర్ణః - complexion; color
స్వర్ణం - gold
అపాకరిష్ణుః - stealing away; removing; eclipsing
అలినీ - a swarm of bees; black bees
జిష్ణుః - conquering; surpassing
కచానాం - of the hair
చయః - mass; collection
అలినీజిష్ణుః కచానాం చయః - a mass of hair that surpasses the bees (in blackness and beauty)
వక్షోజ - breast
అవిభక్త - unseparated; paired
కుంభ - jar; pot
విభ్రమ - bewilderment; delusion; astonishment
హరౌ - removing; taking away
బక్షోజావిభకుంభవిభ్రమహరౌ - (her) paired breasts like jars that steal away the mind's composure
గుర్వీ - heavy; weighty
నితంబ - hips; buttocks
స్థలీ - region; place
నితంబస్థలీ - the hip-region
వాచాం - of speech
హారి - captivating; charming
చ - and
మార్దవం - softness; gentleness
యువతీషు - in young women
స్వాభావికం - natural; innate
మండనం - ornament; adornment

Translation (భావార్థ):
In young women, the natural adornment is this: a face blooming like the moon; eyes that outshine the lotus; a complexion that eclipses gold; hair that surpasses the swarm of bees; paired breasts like jars that bewilder the heart; a weighty curve of the hips; and speech whose softness captivates.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse is classic శృంగార: it celebrates beauty through comparisons to nature - moon, lotus, gold, bees - and shows how perception is shaped by imagery. In real-world settings, it reminds us that attraction is partly sensory and partly imaginative: the mind overlays meaning on what it sees. The mature way to carry this is మర్యాదా (respectful boundaries): admiration should not become objectification, and poetic praise should not become entitlement. If you are in love, let appreciation make you more considerate and more responsible, not more impulsive. If you are admired, remember that charm is power; use it with సత్య (truthfulness) and అహిమ్సా (non-harm), not as a way to toy with another's emotions.

If you want this verse to uplift you: Enjoy beauty without losing balance. Keep the basics steady: sleep, work, friendships, and self-respect. If attraction is mutual, clarity and pace protect it; if it is not, restraint protects you. This is how the verse becomes practical wisdom instead of mere description.

స్మితకించిన్ముగ్ధం సరలతరలో దృష్టివిభవః
పరిస్పందో వాచాం అభినవవిలాసోక్తిసరసః ।
గతానాం ఆరంభః కిసలయితలీలాపరికరః
స్పృశంత్యాస్తారుణ్యం కిం ఇవ న హి రమ్యం మృగదృశః ॥ 2.6 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
స్మిత - smile
కించిత్ - a little; slight
ముగ్ధం - innocent; charmingly naive
స్మితకించిన్ముగ్ధం - a slightly innocent smile
సరల - simple; straight; uncontrived
తరలః - trembling; restless; moving
సరలతరలః - simple and restless
దృష్టి - gaze; sight
విభవః - wealth; splendor; richness
దృష్టివిభవః - richness of the gaze
పరిస్పందః - quiver; tremor; subtle vibration
వాచాం - of speech
అభినవ - new; fresh
విలాస - graceful play; charm
ఉక్తి - utterance; phrase
సరసః - juicy; delightful
అభినవవిలాసోక్తిసరసః - delightful with fresh playful speech
గతానాం - of movements; of gait
ఆరంభః - beginning; start
కిసలయిత - tender like a sprout; budding
లీలా - play; grace
పరికరః - paraphernalia; set of gestures/expressions
కిసలయితలీలాపరికరః - a budding set of playful gestures
స్పృశంత్యాః - of one who is touching; approaching (in verse: స్పృశంత్యాస్తారుణ్యం)
తారుణ్యం - youth
కిం ఇవ న హి రమ్యం - what indeed is not lovely?
మృగదృశః - of the doe-eyed girl

Translation (భావార్థ):
An innocent smile, a simple yet restless richness of gaze, a tremor in speech that is sweet with fresh playful phrases, the first budding start of movements and gestures - when youth touches the doe-eyed maiden, what is there that is not lovely?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This verse captures the freshness of early youth - not "perfect beauty", but the charm of newness: slightly awkward smiles, quick glances, and spontaneous speech. In lived experience, it reminds us that connection often grows through authenticity more than polish. When you stop performing and let your natural warmth show, relationships become easier and more real. The caution is also implicit: youth is powerful and fragile; it deserves రక్షణ (protection) and సౌశీలయ (gentle respect), not exploitation. Admiration should increase responsibility: be mindful of consent, context, and emotional impact, so that affection becomes a blessing, not a wound.

From a broader perspective: Let beauty become reverence rather than grasping. ఆది శంకరాచార్య opens సౌందర్య లహరీ with శివః శక్త్యా యుక్తో యది భవతి శక్తః ప్రభవితుం, hinting that beauty and power are inseparable from awareness. Seen that way, admiration can refine the heart. When respect is present, beauty uplifts; when entitlement is present, beauty binds.

ద్రష్టవ్యేషు కిం ఉత్తమం మృగదృశః ప్రేమప్రసన్నం ముఖం
ఘ్రాతవేష్వపి కిం తద్ఆస్యపవనః శ్రవ్యేషు కిం తద్వచః ।
కిం స్వాద్యేషు తద్ఓష్ఠపల్లవరసః స్పృశ్యేషు కిం తద్వపుర్ధ్యేయం
కిం నవయౌవనే సహృదయైః సర్వత్ర తద్విభ్రమాః ॥ 2.7 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ద్రష్టవ్యేషు - among things to be seen
కిం - what?
ఉత్తమం - best; highest
మృగదృశః - of the doe-eyed maiden
ప్రేమ - love
ప్రసన్నం - clear; bright; serene; pleased
ముఖం - face
ఘ్రాతవేషు - among things to be smelled
అపి - also
తత్ - that; her
ఆస్య - mouth
పవనః - breath; breeze
తద్ఆస్యపవనః - her mouth-breath (the verse uses for a join; read as తదాస్యపవనః)
శ్రవ్యేషు - among things to be heard
తద్వచః - her words; her speech
స్వాద్యేషు - among things to be tasted
తద్ఓష్ఠ - her lips (read as తదోష్ఠ)
పల్లవ - fresh sprout; tender bud
రసః - taste; juice; essence
ఓష్ఠపల్లవరసః - the "sprout-juice" of her lips (tender sweetness)
స్పృశ్యేషు - among things to be touched
తద్వపుః - her body
ధ్యేయం - to be meditated on; contemplated
నవయౌవనే - in fresh/new youth
సహృదయైః - by the tender-hearted; sensitive people
సర్వత్ర - everywhere
తద్విభ్రమాః - her graces; her charming gestures

Translation (భావార్థ):
Of all things to be seen, what is best? - the doe-eyed beloved's face, bright with love. Of all scents, what? - her breath. Of all sounds? - her words. Of all tastes? - the sweetness of her lips. Of all touch? - her body. And what is to be contemplated? - her fresh youth; for the tender-hearted, her graces are "best" everywhere.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This is romantic hyperbole: when love is young, the beloved becomes the "best of everything." It is beautiful as poetry, and it also reveals a psychological pattern: the mind concentrates value on one object and then tastes the whole world through it. In ordinary situations, this can be healthy devotion or unhealthy obsession. The practical balance is మధ్యమతా (the middle way): cherish the relationship, but keep your self-respect, friendships, work, and inner stability intact. When you notice compulsive thinking, bring in వివేక (discernment): ask whether your attention is coming from love or from insecurity and craving. Love that matures moves from "I need you to feel whole" to "I choose you, and I can still stand steady within myself."

On a subtler level: Poetry delights, but real love must go beyond features. If you feel enchanted, translate it into care: listen well, keep promises, and honor consent. Admiration that becomes service is ennobling; admiration that becomes possession is painful. Use the verse to remember dignity - yours and the other's.

ఏతాశ్చలద్వలయసంహతిమేఖలోత్థఝంకార
నూపురపరాజితరాజహంస్యః ।
కుర్వంతి కస్య న మనో వివశం తరుణ్యో
విత్రస్తముగ్ధహరిణీసదృశైః కటాక్షైః ॥ 2.8 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ఏతాః - these
చలత్ - moving; trembling; swaying
వలయ - bangle; bracelet
సంహతి - collection; cluster
మేఖలా - girdle; waist-belt
ఉత్థ - arising from
ఝంకార - jingling sound
చలద్వలయసంహతిమేఖలోత్థఝంకార - jingling arising from swaying bangles and girdle
నూపుర - anklet
పరాజిత - surpassed; defeated
రాజ - royal; noble
హంస - swan
నూపురపరాజితరాజహంస్యః - whose (gait/sound) surpasses the royal swan because of anklets
కుర్వంతి - make; render
కస్య న - whose (mind) not?; whom do they not?
మనః - mind
వివశం - helpless; overpowered
తరుణ్యః - young women
విత్రస్త - frightened
ముగ్ధ - innocent; artless
హరిణీ - doe
సదృశైః - resembling; like
కటాక్షైః - with sidelong glances

Translation (భావార్థ):
With jingling from swaying bangles and girdle, with anklets whose music outshines the royal swan, and with sidelong glances like frightened innocent doe - which mind do these young women not overpower?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
భర్తృహరి shows how attraction is multisensory: sound (anklets, bangles), movement (gait), and sight (glances) work together to flood attention. In practical terms, "presence" works similarly: tone of voice, body language, and timing often matter more than literal words. If you want to build healthy relationships, use this insight to become more attentive and considerate: listen well, show warmth, and be mindful of how you show up. And if you feel overpowered by someone's charm, pause and return to your own center - sleep, food, and routine - because a tired mind is easier to capture than a steady one.

A gentle practice is: Notice the role of attention. What you repeatedly contemplate becomes your inner landscape. So train attention not only on appearance but also on character - kindness, steadiness, truthfulness. This keeps romance from becoming fragile, because it is rooted in values, not only in sensation.

కుంకుమపంకకలంకితదేహా
గౌరపయోధరకంపితహారా ।
నూపురహంసరణత్పద్మా
కం న వశీకురుతే భువి రామా ॥ 2.9 ॥

ఛందః (మాత్రా-చందస్): This is in a మాత్రా-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed అక్షర-count వృత్త): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 16 + 16 + 14 + 16 మాత్రాః (total 62); treat లఘు=1 మాత్రా and గురు=2 మాత్రాః, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse దండ with internal యతి).

Meaning (పదార్థ):
కుంకుమ - saffron; vermilion
పంక - paste; clay; smear
కలంకిత - marked; stained; adorned (lit. "spotted")
దేహా - body; having a body (fem.)
కుంకుమపంకకలంకితదేహా - whose body is streaked/marked with saffron paste
గౌర - fair; white
పయోధర - breast (lit. "water-bearer")
కంపిత - trembling; shaken
హారా - necklace
గౌరపయోధరకంపితహారా - whose necklace trembles on her fair breasts
నూపుర - anklet
హంస - swan
రణత్ - ringing; tinkling
పద్మా - lotus(-like); having lotus(-feet) (fem.)
నూపురహంసరణత్పద్మా - whose lotus-feet ring with anklets like swans
కం - whom?
న - not
వశీకురుతే - brings under control; enchants; subdues
భువి - on earth
రామా - a lovely woman; beloved

Translation (భావార్థ):
With her body streaked with saffron paste, her necklace trembling on her fair breasts, and her lotus-feet ringing with anklets like swans - whom on earth does such a lovely woman not enchant?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This is a celebration of beauty as a lived, moving experience: fragrance and color, the rhythm of ornament, the music of footsteps. In the way we live now, the verse can be read as an insight into "aura": people are drawn not just to looks, but to the total atmosphere - grooming, confidence, and grace. Used well, this becomes self-care and artistry; used poorly, it becomes manipulation through appearances. The mature takeaway is to enjoy beauty without letting it override judgment: keep your promises, your priorities, and your ethical boundaries steady, even when the senses are delighted.

One more layer is this: A deeper use of శృంగార is refinement. When something is beautiful, pause and notice the mind soften. Then let that softness turn into generosity, patience, and gratitude. In this way, beauty becomes a doorway to a better self, not a doorway to restlessness.

నూనం హి తే కవివరా విపరీతవాచో
యే నిత్యం ఆహురబలా ఇతి కామినీస్తాః ।
యాభిర్విలోలితరతారకదృష్టిపాతైః
శక్రాదయోఽపి విజితాస్త్వబలాః కథం తాః ॥ 2.10 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
నూనం - surely; indeed
హి - indeed
తే - those
కవి - poet
వరాః - excellent ones; "great" ones (often ironic here)
విపరీత - contrary; reversed
వాచాః - words; speech (in verse: విపరీతవాచో)
యే - who
నిత్యం - always
ఆహుర్ - say (sandhi: ఆహుః is base; ఆహుర్ before a consonant)
అబలాః - weak (fem. pl.)
ఇతి - thus
కామిన్యః - women; beloveds (in verse: కామినీస్తాః)
తాః - those (women)
యాభిః - by whom; with which (fem. inst. pl.)
విలోలిత - rolling; wandering
రతారక - stars (lit. "night-lights"; in the pupils/eyes)
దృష్టి - sight; gaze
పాత - fall; casting (as of a glance)
విలోలితరతారకదృష్టిపాతైః - with glances whose star-like pupils are playfully rolling
శక్రాదయః - శక్ర (Indra) and others
అపి - even (verse: శక్రాదయోఽపి = శక్రాదయః + అపి)
విజితాః - conquered; defeated
తు - but; indeed
అబలాః - weak?
కథం - how?
తాః - those (women)

Translation (భావార్థ):
Surely those "great poets" speak upside-down who keep calling women weak; by the playful casting of their rolling, star-like glances even Indra and the gods are conquered - how then are they weak?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse pushes back against a lazy stereotype by pointing to the reality of influence: "strength" is not only physical force, it is also charm, intelligence, and the ability to move another's mind. At home and at work, this reads as a reminder to respect emotional and social power - the ability to persuade, inspire, calm, or unsettle. It also warns us about self-deception: people who think they are "in control" can still be swayed by desire, flattery, or attention. A healthy application is to build relationships on mutual respect, and to recognize that what looks "soft" on the surface can carry real leverage underneath.

A helpful way to apply this is: Enjoy beauty without losing balance. Keep the basics steady: sleep, work, friendships, and self-respect. If attraction is mutual, clarity and pace protect it; if it is not, restraint protects you. This is how the verse becomes practical wisdom instead of mere description.

నూనం ఆజ్ఞాకరస్తస్యాః సుభ్రువో మకరధ్వజః ।
యతస్తన్నేత్రసంచారసూచితేషు ప్రవర్తతే ॥ 2.11 ॥

ఛందః (అనుష్టుభ్): This is in అనుష్టుభ్ (శ్లోక) Chandas/Meter: 4 పాదాః, 8 అక్షరాః per పాద (32 total; commonly written/recited as two 16-syllable half-verses separated by `।`); పథ్యా cadence often ends as pAda 1/3 = `x x x x L G x G`, pAda 2/4 = `x x x x L G L G`; a common యతి (pause) is after the 4th or 5th syllable in each పాద (separate from the natural pauses at `।` and `॥`). లక్షణ శ్లోక: శ్లోకే షష్ఠం గురు జ్ఞేయం సర్వత్ర లఘుపంచమమ్ । ద్విచతుష్పాదయోః హ్రస్వం సప్తమం దీర్ఘమన్యయోః ॥ - this mnemonic says the 6th syllable is గురు and the 5th is లఘు in all పాదాః; the 7th is లఘు in pAda 2/4 and గురు in pAda 1/3.

Meaning (పదార్థ):
నూనం - surely; indeed
ఆజ్ఞా - command; order
కరః - doer; maker; agent (here: one who executes orders)
ఆజ్ఞాకరః - command-executor; obedient servant
తస్యాః - of her
సు - good; beautiful
భ్రూ - eyebrow
సుభ్రువః - of the fair-browed woman
మకరధ్వజః - మకరధ్వజ (Cupid)
యతః - because; for
తత్ - her; that
నేత్ర - eye
సంచార - movement; roaming
సూచిత - indicated; signaled
ఏషు - in these (matters)
ప్రవర్తతే - proceeds; acts; sets about

Translation (భావార్థ):
Surely Cupid is the obedient servant of that fair-browed woman, because he acts according to the signals given by the movements of her eyes.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse playfully reverses the power-dynamic: instead of Cupid commanding lovers, Cupid himself becomes the servant of the beloved's subtle cues. These days, this is a reminder of how much communication happens without words - through eye contact, pauses, posture, and micro-expressions. When attraction is mutual and respectful, such cues create tenderness; when it is not, the same cues can be misread or forced. The practical guidance is to keep సంయమ (self-restraint) and clarity: do not build fantasies from ambiguous signals, and do not pressure someone into giving signals they do not mean. Let desire follow consent and honesty, not guesswork.

To carry this wisely: Treat desire as a signal, not a verdict. Attraction shows what the mind likes, but it does not decide what is right. Pause and ask: will this increase trust or reduce it; will it make tomorrow lighter or heavier? That small pause is వివేక (discernment). When you choose transparency and boundaries early, love stays dignified and does not turn into compulsion.

కేశాః సంయమినః శ్రుతేరపి పరం పారం గతే లోచనే
అంతర్వక్త్రం అపి స్వభావశుచిభీః కీర్ణం ద్విజానాం గణైః ।
ముక్తానాం సతతాధివాసరుచిరౌ వక్షోజకుంభావిమావిత్థం
తన్వి వపుః ప్రశాంతం అపి తేరాగం కరోత్యేవ నః ॥ 2.12 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
కేశాః - hair
సంయమినః - of self-controlled ones; of ascetics (also: "restrained/controlled")
శ్రుతేరపి - even beyond the ear (here శ్రుతి = ear; sandhi: శ్రుతేః అపి)
పరం - beyond; further
పారం - far shore; limit; end
గతే - having reached (dual sense with లోచనే)
లోచనే - the two eyes
అంతర్వక్త్రం - the inside of the mouth
అపి - even
స్వభావ - natural; innate
శుచి - pure; clean; bright
స్వభావశుచిభీః - naturally pure/bright
కీర్ణం - filled; crowded
ద్విజ - "twice-born"; in poetry: a tooth
ద్విజానాం గణైః - with rows/groups of teeth
ముక్తానాం - of pearls
సతత - always
అధివాస - residence; dwelling
రుచిరౌ - beautiful (dual)
వక్షోజ - breast
కుంభౌ - the two jars (dual)
వక్షోజకుంభౌ - the two "jar-like" breasts
ఇమౌ - these two
ఇత్థం - thus; in this way
తన్వి - O slender one
వపుః - body; form
ప్రశాంతం - calm; composed
అపి - even
తే - your
రాగం - passion; attachment
కరోతి - creates; produces
ఏవ - indeed
నః - in us; for us

Translation (భావార్థ):
Your hair looks like that of the self-controlled; your eyes seem to extend even beyond the ear; your mouth, naturally bright, is filled with rows of teeth; your two breast-jars are ever beautified by pearls resting on them. O slender one, even though your form is composed, it still awakens passion in us.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This verse is packed with poetic shorthand: long eyes "reach the ear", teeth are called ద్విజ (twice-born) because a second set appears, and pearls "reside" on the bosom as a necklace. The deeper point is about how the mind selects details and turns them into a story of beauty. When you look around today, we can recognize this as the power of attention: what you repeatedly notice becomes what you "live in". If you want love to be steady, train attention not only on appearance, but also on character - kindness, reliability, and respect. Otherwise, the mind becomes a slave of surface impressions and keeps generating రాగ (attachment) without grounding.

A mature reading suggests: Poetry delights, but real love must go beyond features. If you feel enchanted, translate it into care: listen well, keep promises, and honor consent. Admiration that becomes service is ennobling; admiration that becomes possession is painful. Use the verse to remember dignity - yours and the other's.

ముగ్ధే ధానుష్కతా కేయం అపూర్వా త్వయి దృశ్యతే ।
యయా విధ్యసి చేతాంసి గుణైరేవ న సాయకైః ॥ 2.13 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ముగ్ధే - O innocent one; O charming naive girl
ధానుష్కతా - archery; the skill of a bowman
కా - what?
ఇయం - this
కేయం - what is this?
అపూర్వా - unprecedented; new; rare
త్వయి - in you
దృశ్యతే - is seen
యయా - by which
విధ్యసి - you pierce; you strike
చేతాంసి - minds; hearts
గుణైః - by qualities; by virtues
ఏవ - alone; indeed
న - not
సాయకైః - by arrows

Translation (భావార్థ):
O innocent one, what new kind of archery is seen in you - by which you pierce hearts with your qualities alone, and not with arrows?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
Here భర్తృహరి praises attraction that comes from గుణ (virtue/quality) rather than force. In modern terms, this is the pull of character: sincerity, warmth, humor, competence, and emotional intelligence. The practical lesson is encouraging: if you want to be loved deeply, invest less in performance and more in genuine qualities. And if you feel "pierced" by someone, ask what exactly is drawing you - is it real గుణ, or is it your projection? This reflection prevents blind attachment and leads to healthier choices.

If you want this verse to uplift you: Notice the role of attention. What you repeatedly contemplate becomes your inner landscape. So train attention not only on appearance but also on character - kindness, steadiness, truthfulness. This keeps romance from becoming fragile, because it is rooted in values, not only in sensation.

సతి ప్రదీపే సత్యగ్నౌ సత్సు తారారవీందుషు ।
వినా మే మృగశావాక్ష్యా తమోభూతం ఇదం జగథ్ ॥ 2.14 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
సతి - when present; while existing
ప్రదీపే - in a lamp; in the lamp-light
సత్య - true; real; blazing
అగ్నౌ - in fire; with fire
సత్సు - when present; among existing things
తారా - stars
రవి - sun
ఇందు - moon
తారారవీందుషు - among stars, sun, and moon
వినా - without
మే - my
మృగ - deer
శావా - fawn
అక్షి - eye
మృగశావాక్ష్యా - (my beloved) with fawn-like eyes
తమోభూతం - become darkness; turned dark
ఇదం - this
జగథ్ - world

Translation (భావార్థ):
Though lamp-light, fire, stars, sun, and moon are present, without my fawn-eyed beloved this world becomes darkness to me.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse describes how love changes perception: the same world can feel bright or dark depending on inner mood. In common experience, we recognize this as emotional coloring - when you miss someone deeply, everything feels dull; when you feel connected, the same day feels luminous. The practical advice is to honor the feeling but not be ruled by it: grief and longing are natural, yet your well-being cannot depend entirely on external presence. A quiet అనుసంధాన is to cultivate an inner lamp - routines, friendships, meaning, and (when relevant) contemplation of ఆత్మన్ (the inner light) so that external love enriches life without becoming the only source of light.

From a broader perspective: A deeper use of శృంగార is refinement. When something is beautiful, pause and notice the mind soften. Then let that softness turn into generosity, patience, and gratitude. In this way, beauty becomes a doorway to a better self, not a doorway to restlessness.

ఉద్వృత్తః స్తనభార ఏష తరలే నేత్రే చలే భ్రూలతే
రాగాధిష్ఠితం ఓష్ఠపల్లవం ఇదం కుర్వంతు నామ వ్యథామ్ ।
సౌభాగ్యాక్షరమాలికేవ లిఖితా పుష్పాయుధేన స్వయం
మధ్యస్థాపి కరోతి తాపం అధికం రోమావలిః కేన సా ॥ 2.15 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ఉద్వృత్తః - raised; lifted; prominent
స్తన - breast
భారః - burden; weight
స్తనభారః - the weight of the breasts
ఏష - this
తరలే - unsteady; tremulous (dual sense with నేత్రే)
నేత్రే - the two eyes
చలే - moving; dancing (plural/dual sense with brows)
భ్రూలతే - eyebrows (lit. "brow-creepers")
రాగ - redness; passion; color
అధిష్ఠితం - seated on; established on
ఓష్ఠ - lip
పల్లవం - tender bud; sprout
ఓష్ఠపల్లవం - lip-bud
ఇదం - this
కుర్వంతు - let (them) do; let (them) cause
నామ - indeed; surely
వ్యథాం - pain; disturbance
సౌభాగ్య - good fortune; auspiciousness
అక్షర - letter; syllable
మాలికా - garland; string
అక్షరమాలికా - a garland/string of letters (as in a written line)
ఇవ - as if; like
లిఖితా - written
పుష్ప - flower
ఆయుధ - weapon
పుష్పాయుధేన - by the flower-weaponed one (కామ/Cupid)
స్వయం - himself
మధ్యస్థా - situated in the middle
అపి - even though
కరోతి - causes; does
తాపం - heat; torment; burning longing
అధికం - more; excessive
రోమావలిః - the line of fine hair (on the abdomen)
కేన - why? by what?
సా - that (line)

Translation (భావార్థ):
Let the raised weight of the breasts, the tremulous eyes, the dancing eyebrows, and the lip-bud set with color indeed cause disturbance; but why does the delicate line of abdominal hair, though placed in the middle, produce even greater burning longing - as if Cupid himself wrote it like an auspicious garland of letters?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse observes something subtle: desire does not always arise from the obvious features; sometimes a small detail becomes the strongest trigger. In contemporary life, this matches how attention works - a tiny habit, a particular laugh, a small gesture can become the "signature" that the mind fixates on. The practical lesson is to see how the mind manufactures తాప (burning agitation) through repeated attention. If you want to enjoy beauty without losing peace, keep awareness broad and grounded; do not let one detail become an obsession that drains energy and clarity. And in relationships, remember that what you amplify in your mind becomes your reality - choose what you amplify wisely.

On a subtler level: Enjoy beauty without losing balance. Keep the basics steady: sleep, work, friendships, and self-respect. If attraction is mutual, clarity and pace protect it; if it is not, restraint protects you. This is how the verse becomes practical wisdom instead of mere description.

ముఖేన చంద్రకాంతేన మహానీలైః శిరోరుహైః ।
కరాభ్యాం పద్మరాగాభ్యాం రేజే రత్నమయీవ సా ॥ 2.16 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ముఖేన - by the face
చంద్ర - moon
కాంత - beloved; shining; also the moonstone gem (చంద్రకాంత)
చంద్రకాంతేన - with moonstone-like radiance (lit. "moon-beloved")
మహా - great; deep; intense
నీల - blue; dark
మహానీలైః - with deep blue (in verse: describing hair)
శిరః - head
రుహ - growing
శిరోరుహైః - with hair (lit. "head-grown")
కరాభ్యాం - with the two hands
పద్మరాగ - ruby (lit. "lotus-color gem")
పద్మరాగాభ్యాం - with ruby-like (hands)
రేజే - shone; appeared splendid
రత్నమయీ - made of jewels
ఇవ - like
సా - she

Translation (భావార్థ):
With a moonstone-like face, deep-blue hair, and ruby-like hands, she shone as though she were fashioned from jewels.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The poet strings together colors and materials - moonstone, sapphire-blue, ruby - to suggest that beauty feels like a rare harmony of elements. In everyday life, we can read this as a reminder that attraction is often about "composition": how a person carries themselves, how they speak, how they dress, and how their presence feels as a whole. Appreciation becomes healthier when it is paired with gratitude and respect, not possession. If you admire someone, let it refine you: be more attentive, more courteous, and less reactive, so that beauty turns into better behavior rather than restless craving.

A gentle practice is: Let beauty become reverence rather than grasping. ఆది శంకరాచార్య opens సౌందర్య లహరీ with శివః శక్త్యా యుక్తో యది భవతి శక్తః ప్రభవితుం, hinting that beauty and power are inseparable from awareness. Seen that way, admiration can refine the heart. When respect is present, beauty uplifts; when entitlement is present, beauty binds.

గురుణా స్తనభారేణ ముఖచంద్రేణ భాస్వతా ।
శనైశ్చరాభ్యాం పాదాభ్యాం రేజే గ్రహమయీవ సా ॥ 2.17 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
గురుణా - by something heavy; also a pun on గురు (Jupiter)
స్తన - breast
భార - burden; weight
స్తనభారేణ - by the weight of the breasts
ముఖ - face
చంద్ర - moon
ముఖచంద్రేణ - by the moon-like face
భాస్వతా - shining; radiant
శనైశ్చరః - శనైశ్చర (Saturn; "the slow-mover")
శనైశ్చరాభ్యాం - with the two (things like) Saturn; here: with the two Saturn-like feet
పాదాభ్యాం - with the two feet
రేజే - shone; appeared splendid
గ్రహ - planet
మయీ - made of; consisting of
గ్రహమయీ - made of planets
ఇవ - like
సా - she

Translation (భావార్థ):
With the heavy "guru" of her breast-weight, with a radiant moon-like face, and with two Saturn-like feet, she appeared as though she were made of planets.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This is a playful example of శ్లేష (double-meaning): words like గురు, చంద్ర, and శనైశ్చర simultaneously point to body-features and to celestial planets. In day-to-day living, this reminds us that language can hold multiple layers; what you say can carry humor, affection, and imagery together. It also hints at a practical truth: charm is not only in features, but in how a person is described and remembered. Choose your words with care in relationships - a thoughtful phrase can become a lasting ornament, while a careless one can become a lasting wound.

One more layer is this: Poetry delights, but real love must go beyond features. If you feel enchanted, translate it into care: listen well, keep promises, and honor consent. Admiration that becomes service is ennobling; admiration that becomes possession is painful. Use the verse to remember dignity - yours and the other's.

తస్యాః స్తనౌ యది ఘనౌ జఘనం చ హారి
వక్త్రం చ చారు తవ చిత్త కిం ఆకులత్వమ్ ।
పుణ్యం కురుష్వ యది తేషు తవాస్తి వాంఛా
పుణ్యైర్వినా న హి భవంతి సమీహితార్థాః ॥ 2.18 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
తస్యాః - of her
స్తనౌ - the two breasts
యది - if
గనౌ - compact; firm; full
జఘనం - hips; buttocks
చ - and
హారి - charming; captivating
వక్త్రం - face
చ - and
చారు - beautiful; lovely
తవ - your
చిత్త - O mind
కిం - why?
ఆకులత్వం - agitation; restlessness
పుణ్యం - merit; good fortune earned by right action
కురుష్వ - do; perform; cultivate
యది - if
తేషు - toward those; in those (objects)
తవ - your
అస్తి - there is
వాంఛా - desire; longing
పుణ్యైః - by merits (instrumental pl.)
వినా - without
న హి - indeed not
భవంతి - happen; become
సమీహిత - desired
అర్థాః - objects; aims; outcomes
సమీహితార్థాః - desired outcomes

Translation (భావార్థ):
O mind, if her breasts are full, her hips charming, and her face lovely, why are you so agitated? If you truly desire such things, cultivate merit - without merit, desired outcomes do not come to pass.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
Behind the romance is a grounded message: longing alone does not produce results. If you want something in life - love, stability, success - you must become worthy of it through right effort and right conduct. In modern terms, do not chase; build: improve your character, communication, health, and responsibility, so that you naturally attract what you seek. The verse also cools impulsiveness: when the mind is agitated by desire, it is easy to make foolish promises or compromises. Returning to పుణ్య (merit; right action) means returning to values.

A helpful way to apply this is: Notice the role of attention. What you repeatedly contemplate becomes your inner landscape. So train attention not only on appearance but also on character - kindness, steadiness, truthfulness. This keeps romance from becoming fragile, because it is rooted in values, not only in sensation.

ఇమే తారుణ్యశ్రీనవపరిమలాః ప్రౌఢసురతప్రతాప
ప్రారంభాః స్మరవిజయదానప్రతిభువః ।
చిరం చేతశ్చోరా అభినవవికారైకగురవో
విలాసవ్యాపారాః కిం అపి విజయంతే మృగదృశామ్ ॥ 2.19 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ఇమే - these
తారుణ్య - youth
శ్రీ - beauty; splendor
తారుణ్యశ్రీ - the splendor of youth
నవ - new; fresh
పరిమలాః - fragrance; charm (lit. perfume)
తారుణ్యశ్రీనవపరిమలాః - bearing the fresh fragrance of youthful beauty
ప్రౌఢ - mature; fully developed
సురత - love-play; amorous union
ప్రతాప - intensity; heat
ప్రారంభాః - beginnings; onsets
ప్రౌఢసురతప్రతాపప్రారంభాః - onsets of the intensity of mature love-play
స్మర - Cupid; love
విజయ - victory
దాన - giving; grant
ప్రతిభువః - sources; creators; causes
స్మరవిజయదానప్రతిభువః - sources that grant victory to Cupid
చిరం - for a long time
చేతః - mind
చోరః - thief
చేతశ్చోరాః - thieves of the mind
అభినవ - new
వికార - transformation; emotion; change
ఏక - unique
గురవః - teachers; masters
అభినవవికారైకగురవః - unique teachers of new emotions/transformations
విలాస - graceful play; charm
వ్యాపారాః - activities; dealings
విలాసవ్యాపారాః - activities of charm and play
కిం అపి - something indescribable; somehow; wondrously
విజయంతే - triumph; prevail
మృగదృశాం - of doe-eyed women

Translation (భావార్థ):
These activities of doe-eyed women - fragrant with the fresh splendor of youth, beginning the heat of mature love-play, granting victory to Cupid, long-time thieves of the mind, and unique teachers of ever-new emotions - triumph in some indescribable way.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse names what many experience: charm is not one thing, it is a moving field of gestures and moods that keeps the mind learning "new" feelings. In today's relationships, this shows up as novelty and emotional intensity: the mind gets addicted to the freshness of experience. The practical balance is to enjoy romance without becoming a novelty-seeker; depth grows when you value steadiness, not constant stimulation. If you notice your mind becoming a చేతశ్చోర (thief of itself), repeatedly stolen by the same triggers, bring attention back to what actually sustains relationship: trust, respect, and consistency.

To carry this wisely: From an inner standpoint, remember that the rush is a wave in the mind. ఆది శంకరాచార్య reminds us in ఆత్మ షటకం, మనో బుద్ధ్యహంకార చిత్తాని నాహం (I am not the mind, intellect, ego, or mind-stuff). Returning to that witness does not kill love; it makes love workable, so you can act with dignity instead of being driven.

ప్రణయమధురాః ప్రేమోద్గారా రసాశ్రయతాం గతాః
ఫణితిమధురా ముగ్ధప్రాయాః ప్రకాశితసమ్మదాః ।
ప్రకృతిసుభగా విస్రంభార్ద్రాః స్మరోదయదాయినీ
రహసి కిం అపి స్వైరాలాపా హరంతి మృగీదృశామ్ ॥ 2.20 ॥

ఛందః (హరిణీ): This is in హరిణీ (సమ-వృత్త) Chandas/Meter: 4 పాదాః, 17 అక్షరాః per పాద; లఘు/గురు pattern (per పాద) is `LLLLLG GGGG LGLLGLG`; యతి (pause) is after the 6th and 10th syllables in each పాద.

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ప్రణయ - affection; intimate love
మధురాః - sweet
ప్రణయమధురాః - sweet with affection
ప్రేమ - love
ఉద్గారాః - outpourings; expressions
ప్రేమోద్గారాః - expressions of love
రస - taste; aesthetic flavor; emotional essence
ఆశ్రయతాం - having taken refuge in; resting upon
గతాః - gone; become
రసాశ్రయతాం గతాః - having become full of రస
ఫణితి - speech; utterance
మధురాః - sweet
ఫణితిమధురాః - sweet in speech
ముగ్ధ - innocent; naive
ప్రాయాః - mostly; for the most part
ముగ్ధప్రాయాః - mostly innocent
ప్రకాశిత - displayed; revealed
సమ్మదః - delight; joyful excitement
ప్రకాశితసమ్మదాః - showing delight
ప్రకృతి - nature; innate disposition
సుభగాః - charming; pleasing
ప్రకృతిసుభగాః - naturally charming
విస్రంభ - trust; confidential ease
ఆర్ద్రాః - moist; tender; softened
విస్రంభార్ద్రాః - softened by trust
స్మర - Cupid; love
ఉదయ - arising
దాయినీ - giving; producing
స్మరోదయదాయినీ - producing the rise of love
రహసి - in private; in secrecy
కిం అపి - something indescribable
స్వైర - free; unrestrained
ఆలాపాః - conversation; talk
స్వైరాలాపాః - free private talk
హరంతి - steal away; captivate
మృగీదృశాం - of doe-eyed women

Translation (భావార్థ):
Sweet with affection, rich in outpourings of love and the flavor of emotion; sweet in speech and mostly innocent; naturally charming and softened by trust - the free private conversations of doe-eyed women kindle love and steal the heart.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This verse points to something timeless: intimacy grows through private conversation - unguarded talk where trust is felt. In modern relationships, the practical application is simple: make space for genuine, unhurried dialogue (without phones, without performance). When విస్రంభ (trustful ease) is present, love naturally deepens; when it is absent, even grand gestures feel hollow. The caution is also there: do not outsource your self-worth to another's attention; let conversation be a bridge, not a drug. Build trust through consistency and kindness, and keep romance aligned with respect.

A mature reading suggests: Enjoy beauty without losing balance. Keep the basics steady: sleep, work, friendships, and self-respect. If attraction is mutual, clarity and pace protect it; if it is not, restraint protects you. This is how the verse becomes practical wisdom instead of mere description.

విశ్రమ్య విశ్రమ్య వనద్రుమాణాం
ఛాయాసు తన్వీ విచచార కాచిత్ ।
స్తనోత్తరీయేణ కరోద్ధృతేన
నివారయంతీ శశినో మయూఖాన్ ॥ 2.21 ॥

ఛందః (ఉపజాతి): This is in ఉపజాతి Chandas/Meter: 4 పాదాః, 11 అక్షరాః per పాద; this meter commonly mixes ఇంద్రవజ్రా (`GGLGGLLGLGG`) and ఉపేంద్రవజ్రా (`LGLGGLLGLGG`) patterns across పాదాః.

Meaning (పదార్థ):
విశ్రమ్య - having rested; resting
విశ్రమ్య విశ్రమ్య - resting again and again
వన - forest
ద్రుమ - tree
వనద్రుమాణాం - of forest trees
ఛాయాసు - in the shades
తన్వీ - a slender woman
విచచార - wandered; moved about
కాచిత్ - a certain (woman)
స్తన - breast
ఉత్తరీయ - upper cloth; shawl
స్తనోత్తరీయేణ - with the upper cloth (at the bosom)
కర - hand
ఉద్ధృత - lifted; raised
కరోద్ధృతేన - raised by the hand
నివారయంతీ - warding off; shielding
శశినో - of the moon (శశిన్)
మయూఖాన్ - rays

Translation (భావార్థ):
A slender woman wandered, resting again and again in the shade of forest trees, shielding herself from the moon's rays with an upper cloth raised by her hand.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
In శృంగార poetry, the moon is not always "cool": for a love-struck mind, moonlight can intensify longing and feel like heat. So the beloved tries to reduce stimulation by seeking shade and by covering herself. In lived experience, this resembles emotional self-regulation: when you are vulnerable - missing someone, overwhelmed, or anxious - even gentle triggers (a song, a place, a memory) can hurt. The practical takeaway is compassionate pacing: take breaks, change environment, and choose what you consume (music, media, conversations) so your mind can settle rather than spiral.

If you want this verse to uplift you: Let beauty become reverence rather than grasping. ఆది శంకరాచార్య opens సౌందర్య లహరీ with శివః శక్త్యా యుక్తో యది భవతి శక్తః ప్రభవితుం, hinting that beauty and power are inseparable from awareness. Seen that way, admiration can refine the heart. When respect is present, beauty uplifts; when entitlement is present, beauty binds.

అదర్శనే దర్శనమాత్రకామా
దృష్ట్వా పరిష్వంగసుఖైకలోలా ।
ఆలింగితాయాం పునరాయతాక్ష్యామాశాస్మహే
విగ్రహయోరభేదమ్ ॥ 2.22 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
అదర్శనే - in not-seeing; in absence
దర్శన - seeing; sight
మాత్ర - merely; only
కామా - desiring (fem.)
దర్శనమాత్రకామా - desiring only a sight
దృష్ట్వా - having seen
పరిష్వంగ - embrace
సుఖ - happiness; pleasure
ఏక - only
లోలా - eager; restless for
పరిష్వంగసుఖైకలోలా - eager only for the pleasure of an embrace
ఆలింగితాయాం - when (she is) embraced
పునర్ - again
ఆయతాక్షీ - the long-eyed woman (in verse: ఆయతాక్ష్యాం)
ఆశాస్మహే - we hope for; we long for
విగ్రహయోః - of the two bodies
అభేదం - non-separation; non-difference; complete union

Translation (భావార్థ):
When we cannot see her, we long only for a sight; once we see her, we long only for the pleasure of an embrace; and when embraced, we again long for the complete non-separation of the two bodies.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse traces the escalation of desire: the mind moves from "just one look" to "just one touch" to "never let there be distance." This is a gentle warning as well as a romantic truth: the appetite of attachment can be endless. In ordinary situations, we can use this as వివేక (discernment): notice when love is becoming hunger and when closeness is becoming control. A mature relationship honors intimacy and also honors space; it does not treat separation as a threat. From an అద్వైత (non-duality) angle, the longing for "no difference" can also be read as the soul's deeper thirst for wholeness - and that wholeness ultimately has to be found inwardly, not demanded from another person.

From a broader perspective: Poetry delights, but real love must go beyond features. If you feel enchanted, translate it into care: listen well, keep promises, and honor consent. Admiration that becomes service is ennobling; admiration that becomes possession is painful. Use the verse to remember dignity - yours and the other's.

మాలతీ శిరసి జృంభణం ముఖే
చందనం వపుషి కుంకుమావిలమ్ ।
వక్షసి ప్రియతమా మదాలసా
స్వర్గ ఏష పరిశిష్ట ఆగమః ॥ 2.23 ॥

ఛందః (రథోద్ధతా): This is in రథోద్ధతా (త్రిష్టుభ్ class) Chandas/Meter: 4 పాదాః, 11 అక్షరాః per పాద; లఘు/గురు pattern (per పాద) is `GLGLLLGLGLG`.

Meaning (పదార్థ):
మాలతీ - jasmine (a fragrant flower)
శిరసి - on the head
జృంభణం - blooming; opening (also: a blossoming smile)
ముఖే - on the face
చందనం - sandal paste
వపుషి - on the body
కుంకుమ - saffron; vermilion
ఆవిలం - mixed with; tinged; smeared
కుంకుమావిలం - tinged with saffron
వక్షసి - on the chest
ప్రియతమా - the beloved woman
మదాలసా - intoxicated and languid; pleasantly drowsy
స్వర్గః - heaven
ఏష - this
పరిశిష్టః - remaining; leftover
ఆగమః - arrival; attainment; what is to come

Translation (భావార్థ):
Jasmine on the head, a blooming smile on the face, sandal paste on the body tinged with saffron, and the beloved lying languid on the chest - this is heaven; anything "to come" is only the remainder.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse is a bold claim: paradise is not somewhere else; it is the lived sweetness of love, fragrance, and closeness in the present. In practical terms, this can be read as an invitation to stop postponing happiness into an abstract future and to learn to honor simple moments of togetherness. At the same time, maturity asks for balance: do not confuse fleeting pleasure with lasting well-being. Let love become a source of gratitude, gentleness, and responsibility - then even ordinary days carry a touch of "heaven" without making you careless or addicted.

On a subtler level: Notice the role of attention. What you repeatedly contemplate becomes your inner landscape. So train attention not only on appearance but also on character - kindness, steadiness, truthfulness. This keeps romance from becoming fragile, because it is rooted in values, not only in sensation.

ప్రాఙ్మాం ఏతి మనాగనాగతరసం జాతాభిలాషాం తతః
సవ్రీడం తదను శ్లథోద్యమం అథ ప్రధ్వస్తధైర్యం పునః ।
ప్రేమార్ద్రం స్పృహణీయనిర్భరరహః క్రీడాప్రగల్భం తతో
నిఃసంగాంగవికర్షణాధికసుఖరమ్యం కులస్త్రీరతమ్ ॥ 2.24 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ప్రాఙ్మాం - forward; toward the front
ఏతి - goes; moves
మనాగ - a little; slightly
నాగత - attained; arrived at (here: "just reached")
రసం - taste; emotional flavor
మనాగనాగతరసం - having just begun to taste రస
జాతా - arisen; born
అభిలాషా - desire; longing
జాతాభిలాషాం - with desire awakened
తతః - then
స - with
వ్రీడా - bashfulness; modesty
సవ్రీడం - with bashfulness
తదను - after that
శ్లథ - slack; loosened
ఉద్యమం - effort; attempt
శ్లథోద్యమం - effort slackened
అథ - then
ప్రధ్వస్త - destroyed; shaken down
ధైర్యం - courage; steadiness
ప్రధ్వస్తధైర్యం - courage collapsed
పునః - again
ప్రేమ - love
ఆర్ద్రం - softened; tender
ప్రేమార్ద్రం - tender with love
స్పృహణీయ - desirable; worth longing for
నిర్భర - intense; overflowing; abundant
రహః - secrecy; private moment
స్పృహణీయనిర్భరరహః - a deeply desirable, intense private moment
క్రీడా - play; sport
ప్రగల్భం - bold; confident
క్రీడాప్రగల్భం - bold in playful sport
తతః - then
నిఃసంగ - without attachment; detached
అంగ - limb
వికర్షణ - drawing back; pulling away
నిఃసంగాంగవికర్షణ - detached teasing withdrawal of limbs
అధిక - greater
సుఖ - pleasure; ease
రమ్యం - delightful
అధికసుఖరమ్యం - delightful with increased pleasure
కుల - noble family; respectable household
స్త్రీ - woman; wife
రతం - love-play; intimacy
కులస్త్రీరతం - the love-play of a respectable woman

Translation (భావార్థ):
The love-play of a respectable woman is uniquely delightful: the mind first moves forward and just begins to taste emotion, desire arises; then bashfulness appears and effort slackens, courage collapses again; then it becomes tender with love, then an intensely desirable private moment, then bold play - and finally, playful withdrawals of the limbs that heighten delight.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This is not merely description; it is an observation about pacing. Intimacy often becomes deeper when there is trust, modesty, and a natural rhythm of approach and retreat, rather than rush and demand. In the way we live now, the practical application is to prioritize safety and consent: let comfort lead, communicate clearly, and respect pauses without taking them as rejection. When affection is patient, it creates room for genuine closeness; when it is impatient, it creates pressure and anxiety. Read this verse as a reminder that the most satisfying connection is not forceful but mutually tuned.

A gentle practice is: A deeper use of శృంగార is refinement. When something is beautiful, pause and notice the mind soften. Then let that softness turn into generosity, patience, and gratitude. In this way, beauty becomes a doorway to a better self, not a doorway to restlessness.

ఉరసి నిపతితానాం స్రస్తధమ్మిల్లకానాం
ముకులితనయనానాం కించిద్ఉన్మీలితానామ్ ।
ఉపరి సురతఖేదస్విన్నగండస్థలానామధర
మధు వధూనాం భాగ్యవంతః పిబంతి ॥ 2.25 ॥

ఛందః (మాలినీ): This is in మాలినీ (సమ-వృత్త) Chandas/Meter: 4 పాదాః, 15 అక్షరాః per పాద; లఘు/గురు pattern (per పాద) is `LLLLLLGG GLGGLGG`; యతి (pause) is after the 8th syllable in each పాద.

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ఉరసి - on the chest
నిపతిత - fallen; lying down upon
ఉరసి నిపతితానాం - of those who have fallen on the chest
స్రస్త - loosened; fallen apart
ధమ్మిల్ల - a braided/bound hair-knot; hair arrangement
స్రస్తధమ్మిల్లకానాం - of those whose hair-knots are loosened/disheveled
ముకులిత - closed like a bud; shut
నయన - eye
ముకులితనయనానాం - of those with closed eyes
కించిత్ - slightly
ఉన్మీలిత - opened
కించిద్ఉన్మీలితానాం - of those with eyes slightly opened (read as కించిదున్మీలితానాం)
ఉపరి - above; on top
సురత - love-play; amorous union
ఖేద - fatigue; weariness
స్విన్న - sweating; perspiring
గండస్థల - cheek-region
సురతఖేదస్విన్నగండస్థలానాం - of those whose cheeks are moist with the fatigue of love-play
అధర - lower lip
మధు - honey; nectar
అధర్ మధు - the honey of the lips
వధూనాం - of young women; brides
భాగ్యవంతః - fortunate ones
పిబంతి - drink

Translation (భావార్థ):
The fortunate drink the honey of the lips of women who lie upon their chest, hair disheveled, eyes closed yet slightly opening, cheeks moist with the fatigue of love-play.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This verse focuses less on action and more on tenderness after intensity - the closeness, the softness, the quiet satisfaction. At home and at work, this points to the importance of aftercare: affection that continues after passion, through gentle touch, kind words, and presence. Relationships become safer and happier when intimacy is not treated as a transaction but as a shared experience that includes care and respect. The deeper teaching is simple: love is not only excitement; it is also warmth, protection, and attentiveness in the quiet moments.

One more layer is this: Enjoy beauty without losing balance. Keep the basics steady: sleep, work, friendships, and self-respect. If attraction is mutual, clarity and pace protect it; if it is not, restraint protects you. This is how the verse becomes practical wisdom instead of mere description.

ఆమీలితనయనానాం యః
సురతరసోఽను సంవిదం భాతి ।
మిథురైర్మిథోఽవధారితమవితథం
ఇదం ఏవ కామనిర్బర్హణమ్ ॥ 2.26 ॥

ఛందః (మాత్రా-చందస్): This is in a మాత్రా-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed అక్షర-count వృత్త): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 14 + 16 + 21 + 16 మాత్రాః (total 67); treat లఘు=1 మాత్రా and గురు=2 మాత్రాః, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse దండ with internal యతి).

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ఆమీలిత - half-closed; shut (as the eyes)
నయన - eye
ఆమీలితనయనానాం - of those whose eyes are half-closed
యః - which; that (thing)
సురత - love-play; amorous union
రసః - taste; రస (aesthetic flavor)
సురతరసః - the flavor of love-play
అను - along with; in accordance with; after (verse: సురతరసోఽను = సురతరసః + అను)
సంవిదం - mutual understanding; shared inner communication
భాతి - shines; appears; becomes evident
మిథునైః - by couples; by pairs
మిథో - mutually; between each other (verse: మిథోఽవధారితం = మిథో + అవధారితం)
అవధారితం - determined; ascertained
అవితథం - true; not false
ఇదం - this
ఏవ - alone; indeed
కామ - desire; love
నిర్బర్హణం - completion; fulfilment; bringing to full measure
కామనిర్బర్హణం - fulfilment of desire/love

Translation (భావార్థ):
That which shines as the shared, unspoken understanding within love-play - when eyes are half-closed - and which couples mutually recognize as true: this alone is the fulfilment of love.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse points to a subtle dimension of intimacy: beyond words, there is సంవిద్ (shared understanding), a quiet mutual attunement that only the two involved can fully know. These days, this translates to emotional presence: listening, responding, and being sensitive to comfort and consent. The practical takeaway is that love is not merely performance; it is mutuality. When communication is honest and respectful, closeness becomes nourishing; when it is absent, even outward romance can feel empty.

A helpful way to apply this is: Treat desire as a signal, not a verdict. Attraction shows what the mind likes, but it does not decide what is right. Pause and ask: will this increase trust or reduce it; will it make tomorrow lighter or heavier? That small pause is వివేక (discernment). When you choose transparency and boundaries early, love stays dignified and does not turn into compulsion.

ఇదం అనుచితం అక్రమశ్చ పుంసాం
యదిహ జరాస్వపి మన్మథా వికారాః ।
తదపి చ న కృతం నితంబినీనాం
స్తనపతనావధి జీవితం రతం వా ॥ 2.27 ॥

ఛందః (మాత్రా-చందస్): This is in a మాత్రా-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed అక్షర-count వృత్త): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 18 + 19 + 16 + 19 మాత్రాః (total 72); treat లఘు=1 మాత్రా and గురు=2 మాత్రాః, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse దండ with internal యతి).

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ఇదం - this
అనుచితం - improper; not fitting
అక్రమః - out of order; not appropriate to the stage
చ - and
పుంసాం - for men; of men
యది - if
ఇహ - here; in this world
జరాసు - in old age; in aging (loc. pl.)
అపి - even
మన్మథా - of మన్మథ (Cupid); of desire
వికారాః - changes; stirrings; transformations
తదపి - even so; nevertheless
చ - and
న - not
కృతం - done; applied; (here) "not so"
నితంబినీనాం - of women with shapely hips
స్తన - breast
పతన - falling; drooping
అవధి - limit; until
స్తనపతనావధి - until the breasts droop (a sign of age)
జీవితం - life
రతం - love-play; delight; attachment
వా - or; indeed

Translation (భావార్థ):
It is improper and out of order for men if the stirrings of desire persist even in old age; yet, for women of shapely hips it is not said to be so - as though their life remains love and delight until the signs of age appear.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This verse reflects an old poetic voice and the social assumptions of its time, so it should be read with caution rather than as a universal judgment. A useful modern reading is to notice the broader theme: desire does not simply obey age, and society often polices it differently for different people. The healthier approach is మర్యాదా (dignity and boundaries) and mutual respect: affection and intimacy can exist at any age when there is consent, care, and responsibility. When a verse carries a biased lens, we can still extract వివేక (discernment) by separating cultural stereotype from the underlying psychological observation.

To carry this wisely: Poetry delights, but real love must go beyond features. If you feel enchanted, translate it into care: listen well, keep promises, and honor consent. Admiration that becomes service is ennobling; admiration that becomes possession is painful. Use the verse to remember dignity - yours and the other's.

రాజస్తృష్ణాంబురాశేర్న హి జగతి గతః కశ్చిదేవావసానం
కో వార్థోఽర్థైః ప్రభూతైః స్వవపుషి గలితే యౌవనే సానురాగే ।
గచ్ఛామః సద్మ యావద్వికసితనయనేందీవరాలోకినీనామాక్రమ్యాక్రమ్య
రూపం ఝటితి న జరయా లుప్యతే ప్రేయసీనామ్ ॥ 2.28 ॥

ఛందః (స్రగ్ధరా): This is in స్రగ్ధరా (సమ-వృత్త) Chandas/Meter: 4 పాదాః, 21 అక్షరాః per పాద; లఘు/గురు pattern (per పాద) is `GGGGLGG LLLLLLG GLGGLGG`; యతి (pause) is after the 7th and 14th syllables in each పాద.

Meaning (పదార్థ):
రాజః - royal splendor; power; worldly glory
తృష్ణా - thirst; craving
అంబు - water
రాశిః - heap; mass; ocean-like expanse
రాజస్తృష్ణాంబురాశిః - the ocean of craving for royal/worldly splendor
న హి - indeed not
జగతి - in the world
గతః - gone; reached
కశ్చిత్ - anyone
ఏవ - ever
అవసానం - end; limit
కః - what?
అర్థః - meaning; use
అర్థైః - with wealth; with riches
ప్రభూతైః - abundant; plentiful
స్వ - one's own
వపుషి - in the body
గలితే - slipping away; decaying; melting down
యౌవనే - when youth is present (or: when youth is passing)
సానురాగే - with passion; with love present
గచ్ఛామః - let us go
సద్మ - house; home
యావత్ - while; as long as
వికసిత - opened; blossomed
నయన - eye
ఏందీవర - blue lotus
ఆలోకినీనాం - of those who look; the lotus-eyed women
ఆక్రామ్య - approaching; stepping into; going to
ఆక్రామ్య ఆక్రామ్య - again and again; repeatedly
రూపం - beauty; form
ఝటితి - quickly
న - not
జరయా - by old age
లుప్యతే - is destroyed; is lost
ప్రేయసీనాం - of beloved women

Translation (భావార్థ):
There is no end, in this world, to the ocean of craving for power and splendor. What is the use of abundant wealth when youth and passion slip away from the body? Let us go, again and again, to the homes of lotus-eyed beloveds while their beauty is not yet quickly taken away by old age.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This is "carpe diem" శృంగార: it reminds us that youth is fleeting, so the mind argues for enjoyment now. A mature reading keeps both sides: yes, impermanence is real; and yes, chasing pleasure without వివేక can create suffering. In daily interactions, the wiser application is to value what youth enables - health, learning, meaningful work, and loving relationships - without reducing life to endless consumption. Let the awareness of time passing produce gratitude and urgency toward what is wholesome, not reckless indulgence.

A mature reading suggests: Notice the role of attention. What you repeatedly contemplate becomes your inner landscape. So train attention not only on appearance but also on character - kindness, steadiness, truthfulness. This keeps romance from becoming fragile, because it is rooted in values, not only in sensation.

రాగస్యాగారం ఏకం నరకశతమహాదుఃఖసంప్రాప్తిహేతుర్మోహస్యోత్పత్తి
బీజం జలధరపటలం జ్ఞానతారాధిపస్య ।
కందర్పస్యైకమిత్రం ప్రకటితవివిధస్పష్టదోషప్రబంధం
లోకేఽస్మిన్న హ్యర్థవ్రజకులభవనయౌవనాదన్యదస్తి ॥ 2.29 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
రాగస్య - of passion; of attachment
ఆగారం - house; abode
ఏకం - one; only
నరక - hell
శత - hundred
మహా - great
దుఃఖ - suffering; sorrow
సంప్రాప్తి - attainment; coming upon
హేతుః - cause
నరకశతమహాదుఃఖసంప్రాప్తిహేతుః - cause of many hell-like great sufferings
మోహస్య - of delusion
ఉత్పత్తి - origin; birth
బీజం - seed
మోహస్యోత్పత్తిబీజం - the seed of delusion's birth
జలధర - cloud
పటలం - mass; layer
జలధరపటలం - a mass of clouds
జ్ఞాన - knowledge
తారాధిప - lord of stars (moon)
జ్ఞానతారాధిపస్య - of the "moon" of knowledge (poetic image)
కందర్పస్య - of Cupid; of desire
ఏక - one; sole
మిత్రం - friend
కందర్పస్యైకమిత్రం - Cupid's sole friend
ప్రకటిత - manifest; revealed
వివిధ - various
స్పష్ట - clear; evident
దోషా - faults; defects
ప్రబంధం - chain; connected series
ప్రకటితవివిధస్పష్టదోషప్రబంధం - a connected chain of clearly evident faults
లోకే - in the world
అస్మిన్ - in this
హి - indeed
అర్థ - wealth
వ్రజ - crowd; retinue; multitude
కుల - family; clan
భవన - house; home
యౌవన - youth
అన్యత్ - other
అస్తి - exists
అర్థవ్రజకులభవనయౌవనాద్ అన్యద్ అస్తి - there is something other than wealth, retinue, family, home, and youth (used in the verse to say: there is nothing else)

Translation (భావార్థ):
Youth is the sole abode of passion; the cause of countless hell-like sufferings; the seed from which delusion is born; a mass of clouds that hides the moon of wisdom; Cupid's closest friend; and a chain of clearly visible faults. Indeed, in this world people seem to know nothing beyond wealth, retinue, family, home, and youth.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This verse flips the romantic lens and shows youth as a double-edged power: it fuels joy and also fuels మోహ (delusion). In common experience, we see this in the way youth can intensify comparison, impulsiveness, and identity built on appearances. The practical takeaway is not cynicism but వివేక: use youth for what lasts - learning, skill, health, and relationships grounded in respect - rather than being swept away by రాగ (attachment) and status-hunger. When the verse says "clouds hide the moon of knowledge", it is pointing to a timeless pattern: desire can dim clarity unless we consciously protect it.

If you want this verse to uplift you: From an inner standpoint, remember that the rush is a wave in the mind. ఆది శంకరాచార్య reminds us in ఆత్మ షటకం, మనో బుద్ధ్యహంకార చిత్తాని నాహం (I am not the mind, intellect, ego, or mind-stuff). Returning to that witness does not kill love; it makes love workable, so you can act with dignity instead of being driven.

శృంగారద్రుమనీరదే ప్రసృమరక్రీడారసస్రోతసి
ప్రద్యుమ్నప్రియబాంధవే చతురవాఙ్ముక్తాఫలోదన్వతి ।
తన్వీనేత్రచకోరపావనవిధౌ సౌభాగ్యలక్ష్మీనిధౌ
ధన్యః కోఽపి న విక్రియాం కలయతి ప్రాప్తే నవే యౌవనే ॥ 2.30 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
శృంగార - romance; love; beauty
ద్రుమ - tree
నీరద - cloud (lit. "water-giver")
శృంగారద్రుమనీరదే - in the raincloud of the love-tree (poetic image for youth)
ప్రసృమర - spreading; flowing forth
క్రీడా - play; sport
రస - flavor; emotional essence
స్రోతసి - in the stream
ప్రసృమరక్రీడారసస్రోతసి - in the stream of flowing playful రస
ప్రద్యుమ్న - ప్రద్యుమ్న (associated with Cupid in tradition)
ప్రియ - dear
బాంధవ - relative; friend; ally
ప్రద్యుమ్నప్రియబాంధవే - dear friend/kinsman of ప్రద్యుమ్న (i.e., of Cupid; love)
చతుర - clever; skillful
వాక్ - speech
ముక్తా - pearl
ఫల - fruit
ఉదన్వతి - abounding; like an ocean (lit. "watery")
చతురవాఙ్ముక్తాఫలోదన్వతి - an ocean abounding in the pearl-fruits of clever speech
తన్వీ - slender woman
నేత్ర - eye
చకోర - the చకోర bird (mythically drinks moonlight)
పావన - purifying
విధి - rite; method
తన్వీనేత్రచకోరపావనవిధౌ - as if the rite that refreshes/purifies the చకోర of a slender woman's eyes (poetic image)
సౌభాగ్య - fortune; good luck
లక్ష్మీ - prosperity; beauty
నిధౌ - in the treasure
సౌభాగ్యలక్ష్మీనిధౌ - in the treasure-house of fortune and beauty
ధన్యః - blessed; fortunate
కః అపి - anyone at all
న - not
విక్రియాం - change; transformation; agitation
కలయతి - experiences; produces
ప్రాప్తే - when attained; when it arrives
నవే - new; fresh
యౌవనే - in youth

Translation (భావార్థ):
When fresh youth arrives - like a raincloud nourishing the tree of romance, like a stream overflowing with playful delight, like an ocean rich with pearl-like clever speech, like a treasure-house of fortune and beauty - who, even among the blessed, does not undergo a transformation?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This verse acknowledges an obvious truth: youth alters everyone. It changes how we speak, how we dream, what we chase, and what we fear. In contemporary life, this can be used wisely: channel youth's energy into skills, creativity, and meaningful relationships rather than wasting it in constant distraction. The poet's lush metaphors also hint at responsibility: what is abundant now will not remain forever, so use it well. When you treat youth as a resource to cultivate వివేక (discernment) and character, it becomes a blessing rather than a storm.

From a broader perspective: Enjoy beauty without losing balance. Keep the basics steady: sleep, work, friendships, and self-respect. If attraction is mutual, clarity and pace protect it; if it is not, restraint protects you. This is how the verse becomes practical wisdom instead of mere description.

సంసారేఽస్మిన్నసారే కునృపతిభవనద్వారసేవాకలంకవ్యాసంగ
వ్యస్తధైర్యం కథం అమలధియో మానసం సంవిదధ్యుః ।
యద్యేతాః ప్రోద్యద్ఇందుద్యుతినిచయభృతో న స్యురంభోజనేత్రాః
ప్రేంఖత్కాంచీకలాపాః స్తనభరవినమన్మధ్యభాజస్తరుణ్యః ॥ 2.31 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
సంసారే - in worldly life; in సంసార (the cycle of becoming)
అస్మిన్ - in this (verse: సంసారేఽస్మిన్ = సంసారే + అస్మిన్)
అసారే - without essence; tasteless
కు - bad; base
నృపతి - king; ruler
కునృపతి - a petty/bad ruler (lit. కు + నృపతి)
భవన - house; palace
ద్వార - door; gate
సేవా - service; attendance
కునృపతిభవనద్వారసేవా - humiliating service at the gate of a petty ruler's palace
కలంక - stain; disgrace
వ్యాసంగ - strong attachment; clinging
కలంకవ్యాసంగ - disgraceful clinging (to such service)
వ్యస్త - scattered; disordered
ధైర్యం - courage; steadiness
వ్యస్తధైర్యం - with courage scattered
కథం - how
అమల - pure; stainless
ధియాః - minds/intellects; the discerning (verse: ధియో = ధియాః)
అమలధియాః - the pure-minded; the discerning (verse: అమలధియో = అమలధియాః)
మానసం - mind
సంవిదధ్యుః - would compose; would set in order
యది - if
ఏతాః - these (women)
ప్రోద్యద్ఇందు - rising moon (the verse uses for a join; read as ప్రోద్యదిందు)
ద్యుతి - radiance
నిచయ - heap; multitude
భృతః - bearing; possessing (verse: భృతో = భృతః)
ప్రోద్యద్ఇందుద్యుతినిచయభృతః - bearing a heap of radiance like a newly risen moon
అంభోజ - lotus
నేత్రాః - eyes
అంభోజనేత్రాః - lotus-eyed
ప్రేఙఃఅత్ - swaying; moving about
కాంచీ - girdle (often with bells)
కలాపః - cluster; collection
ప్రేఙఃఅత్కాంచీకలాపాః - with swaying, tinkling girdles
స్తన - breast
బర - burden; weight
వినమత్ - bent down
మధ్య - waist; middle
భాజః - possessing; having
స్తనభరవినమన్మధ్యభాజః - having waists gently bent by the weight of the breasts
తరుణ్యః - young women
న స్యుః - were not; did not exist

Translation (భావార్థ):
In this essence-less world, tainted by humiliating service at the gates of petty rulers, how could the minds of the pure-hearted ever stay composed - if these young women did not exist: lotus-eyed, shining like a newly risen moon, their girdles swaying, their waists gently bent beneath youthful fullness?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The poet calls సంసార (worldly life) అసార (without lasting essence) because it can demand compromise, flattery, and the slow scattering of ధైర్య (steadiness). Yet he admits that beauty and affection keep people engaged with life: love can make hardship bearable. In everyday life, this can be noble (working hard to support a family and build a home together), but it can also become corrosive if attraction pushes us into కలంక (loss of integrity) - staying in environments that erode self-respect just to please someone. The practical అనుసంధాన is to let love inspire effort while letting వివేక (discernment) guard boundaries and values.

On a subtler level: Many of these verses describe the dance of closeness and distance. In real relationships, small signals carry meaning, but they are often ambiguous. Replace assumption with conversation. When pride arises, soften it with kindness; when fear arises, address it with honesty. Clarity makes love lighter.

సిద్ధాధ్యాసితకందరే హరవృషస్కంధావరుగ్ణద్రుమే
గంగాధౌతశిలాతలే హిమవతః స్థానే స్థితే శ్రేయసి ।
కః కుర్వీత శిరః ప్రణామమలినం మ్లానం మనస్వీ జనో
యద్విత్రస్తకురంగశావనయనా న స్యుః స్మరాస్త్రం స్త్రియః ॥ 2.32 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
సిద్ధ - the accomplished; perfected beings
అధ్యాసిత - inhabited; occupied
కందరే - in the cave
సిద్ధాధ్యాసితకందరే - in a cave inhabited by సిద్ధs
హర - శివ
వృష - bull
స్కంధ - shoulder
అవరుగ్ణ - broken; rubbed down; battered
ద్రుమే - on the tree
హరవృషస్కంధావరుగ్ణద్రుమే - on trees battered by the shoulders of Shiva's bull
గంగా - the river గంగా
ధౌత - washed; cleansed
శిలా - rock; stone
తలం - surface; ground
గంగాధౌతశిలాతలే - on rock-surfaces washed by the గంగా
హిమవతః - of the Himalaya
స్థానే - in the place
స్థితే - situated
శ్రేయసి - auspicious; excellent
కః - who
కుర్వీత - would do; would make
శిరః - head
ప్రణామ - bowing; salutation; prostration
మలినం - soiled; dirty
ప్రణామమలినం - soiled by prostrations
మ్లానం - wilted; drooping
మనస్వీ - spirited; high-minded
జనః - person
విత్రస్త - frightened
కురంగ - deer
శావ - fawn
నయనా - eyes (f.)
కురంగశావనయనా - having eyes like a frightened fawn
స్మరాస్త్రం - Cupid's weapon; love's arrow
స్త్రియః - women
న స్యుః - were not

Translation (భావార్థ):
Even in a most auspicious Himalayan retreat - caves inhabited by spiritual adepts, rocks washed by the river Ganga, and forest traces of Shiva's bull - what spirited person would let the head be soiled by repeated bowing and the mind droop, if women with frightened-fawn eyes were not Cupid's weapons?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse is a reminder that changing place does not automatically change the mind. Even in sacred, quiet surroundings, attraction can make us bend, plead, and lose inner brightness. In day-to-day living, this shows up when we think a new city, a new job, or even a retreat will fix restlessness - but the same tendencies (వాసనా, latent habits) travel with us. The antidote is inner training: సంయమ (self-restraint) and ధ్యాన (steady attention) so that a moment of fascination does not collapse dignity. Outer purity helps, but true freedom is an inside skill.

A gentle practice is: Poetry delights, but real love must go beyond features. If you feel enchanted, translate it into care: listen well, keep promises, and honor consent. Admiration that becomes service is ennobling; admiration that becomes possession is painful. Use the verse to remember dignity - yours and the other's.

సంసార తవ పర్యంతపదవీ న దవీయసీ ।
అంతరా దుస్తరా న స్యుర్యది తే మదిరేక్షణామ్ ॥ 2.33 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
సంసార - worldly life; the cycle of becoming
తవ - your; for you
పర్యంత - end; limit
పదవీ - path; road
దవీయసీ - far; distant
న - not
అంతరా - in between; the interval
దుస్తరా - hard to cross; difficult to pass through
న స్యుః - would not be
యది - if
తే - your
మదిరా - wine; intoxication
ఈక్షణం - look; glance; eyes
మదిరేక్షణా - wine-eyed (voc.); one whose glance intoxicates

Translation (భావార్థ):
The road through this worldly life does not feel long, and the stretch in between does not feel hard to cross, if your intoxicating eyes are with me.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
Companionship changes the felt weight of time. Hard journeys become lighter when there is affection, shared laughter, and a sense of being seen. In our daily routines, even tedious responsibilities - commuting, caregiving, building a career - can feel meaningful when there is a loving partner at the center. At the same time, the verse hints at how powerful a "glance" can be: attraction can make us underestimate difficulties. The practical అనుసంధాన is to let love encourage endurance, while still planning realistically and not letting romance erase prudence.

One more layer is this: Notice the role of attention. What you repeatedly contemplate becomes your inner landscape. So train attention not only on appearance but also on character - kindness, steadiness, truthfulness. This keeps romance from becoming fragile, because it is rooted in values, not only in sensation.

దిశ వనహరిణీభ్యో వంశకాండచ్ఛవీనాం
కవలం ఉపలకోటిచ్ఛిన్నమూలం కుశానామ్ ।
శకయువతికపోలాపాండుతాంబూలవల్లీదలం
అరుణనఖాగ్రైః పాటితం వా వధూభ్యః ॥ 2.34 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
దిశ - give; offer; grant
వన - forest
హరిణీ - doe (female deer)
వన-హరిణీభ్యః - to the forest does
వంశ - bamboo
కాండ - stalk; stem
చ్చవి - color; appearance
వంశకాండచ్ఛవి - having the color of a bamboo-stalk
కవలం - a mouthful; morsel
ఉపల - stone
కోటి - edge; tip
చ్ఛిన్న - cut
మూలం - root
కుశానాం - of కుశ grass
ఉపలకోటిచ్ఛిన్నమూలం - with roots cut by the edge of a stone
శక - శక (name of a people, used poetically)
యువతి - young woman
కపోల - cheek
పాండు - pale
తాంబూల - betel; betel-leaf
వల్లీ - creeper
దలం - leaf
శకయువతికపోలాపాండుతాంబూలవల్లీదలం - a betel-leaf pale like the cheeks of శక maidens
అరుణ - reddish
నఖాగ్ర - nail-tip
అరుణనఖాగ్రైః - with reddish nail-tips
పాటితం - torn; split
వా - or
వధూభ్యః - to brides; to young women

Translation (భావార్థ):
To deer, offer a morsel of sacred grass, pale as bamboo-stalks and with roots cut clean by stone; to brides, offer a betel-leaf, pale as a maiden's cheek and torn by the reddish tips of nails.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
భర్తృహరి's శృంగార often works by letting the same object be seen in two worlds at once: the natural world (deer, grass, bamboo) and the human world (cheeks, nails, betel). Love sharpens perception and association - you start noticing small details, and ordinary things begin to echo a beloved's features. In today's relationships, this is the psychology of memory: a color, a scent, or a song becomes a "hook" that brings someone to mind instantly. The verse invites us to appreciate that poetic sensitivity, while also remembering that strong associations can both enrich life and make longing sharper.

A helpful way to apply this is: A deeper use of శృంగార is refinement. When something is beautiful, pause and notice the mind soften. Then let that softness turn into generosity, patience, and gratitude. In this way, beauty becomes a doorway to a better self, not a doorway to restlessness.

అసారాః సర్వే తే విరతివిరసాః పాపవిషయా
జుగుప్స్యంతాం యద్వా నను సకలదోషాస్పదం ఇతి ।
తథాప్యేతద్భూమౌ నహి పరహితాత్పుణ్యం అధికం
న చాస్మిన్సంసారే కువలయదృశో రమ్యం అపరమ్ ॥ 2.35 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
అసారాః - without essence; worthless
సర్వే - all
తే - those; these
విరతి - dispassion; turning away
విరసాః - tasteless; devoid of రస
పాప - sinful; harmful
విషయాః - objects (of sense); pursuits
జుగుప్స్యంతాం - let them be detested
యద్వా - or else; even if
నను - indeed
సకల - all
దోషాస్పదం - a seat/abode of faults
ఇతి - thus
తథాపి - even so; nevertheless
ఏతద్ - on this
భూమౌ - on earth
నహి - there is not
పరహిత - welfare of others
పుణ్యం - merit; virtue
అధికం - greater
న చ - nor
అస్మిన్ - in this
సంసారే - world; worldly life
కువలయ - blue lotus
దృశః - eyes; the one with such eyes
కువలయదృశః - the lotus-eyed (woman)
రమ్యం - delightful; beautiful
అపరం - other; different

Translation (భావార్థ):
Let all sense-objects be declared worthless, tasteless to the dispassionate, and to be shunned as an abode of faults; yet on this earth there is no virtue greater than working for others' welfare, and in this world there is no delight greater than the eyes of a lotus-eyed beloved.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This verse offers a surprisingly balanced take: even if worldly pursuits can be పాపవిషయ (harmful when misused) and empty to someone with విరతి (dispassion), life still has two undeniable lights. One is పరహిత - acting for others' good - which becomes the highest పుణ్య (merit). The other is the intimate joy of beauty and love, symbolized by the lotus-eyed glance. In real-world settings, this reads as a wise pairing: build a life that serves (family, community, honest work) and also a life that loves (tenderness, art, relationships). From an అద్వైత lens, పరహిత naturally arises when the boundary between "me" and "other" softens; compassion becomes practical, not sentimental.

To carry this wisely: Enjoy beauty without losing balance. Keep the basics steady: sleep, work, friendships, and self-respect. If attraction is mutual, clarity and pace protect it; if it is not, restraint protects you. This is how the verse becomes practical wisdom instead of mere description.

ఏతత్కామఫలో లోకే యద్ద్వయోరేకచిత్తతా ।
అన్యచిత్తకృతే కామే శవయోరివ సంగమః ॥ 2.35.1 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ఏతత్ - this
కామ - love; desire
ఫలం - fruit; result
లోకే - in the world
యద్ - which; that
ద్వయోః - of two (people)
ఏక - one
చిత్తతా - one-pointedness; being of one mind
ఏకచిత్తతా - being of one mind; mutual attunement
అన్య - other
చిత్త - mind
కృతే - when done; when made (i.e., directed elsewhere)
అన్యచిత్తకృతే - when one's mind is elsewhere
కామే - in love
శవయోః - of two corpses
ఇవ - like
సంగమః - union; meeting

Translation (భావార్థ):
The real fruit of love in this world is two people becoming of one mind; when love is with someone whose mind is elsewhere, their union is like the meeting of two corpses.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
శృంగార is not just about physical closeness; it insists on ఏకచిత్తతా - mutual presence and attunement. A relationship where one person is emotionally absent can feel lifeless even if the outer forms remain. In our daily routines, this shows up when partners share space but not attention: one is always scrolling, always elsewhere, always "busy". The verse pushes a practical ethic: if you want love to be living, bring your mind to where your body is - and ask for the same in return through honest conversation and boundaries.

మాత్సర్యం ఉత్సార్య విచార్య కార్యమార్యాః
సమర్యాదం ఇదం వదంతు ।
సేవ్యా నితంబాః కిం ఉ భూధరాణామత
స్మరస్మేరవిలాసినీనామ్ ॥ 2.36 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
మాత్సర్యం - envy; jealousy
ఉత్సార్య - casting away; removing
విచార్య - reflecting upon; considering
కార్యం - what is to be done; what is worthwhile
ఆర్యాః - the noble; cultured people
సమర్యాదం - with propriety; within bounds
ఇదం - this
వదంతు - may they say
సేవ్యాః - to be served; worthy of pursuit
నితంబాః - hips; buttocks
కిం ఉ - whether indeed
భూధరాణాం - of mountains
అత - or rather
స్మర - Cupid; love
స్మేర - smiling
విలాసినీనాం - of playful, graceful women
స్మరస్మేరవిలాసినీనాం - of women whose play is smiling with love

Translation (భావార్థ):
Let the noble, setting aside envy and thinking clearly about what is worth pursuing, say this with propriety: are the hips we should "serve" those of mountains - or rather those of love-smiling, playful women?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse is playful, but it begins with a serious prescription: drop మాత్సర్య (jealousy) and think about what truly deserves your energy. Envy makes us chase status and comparisons; love makes us notice beauty and closeness. In lived experience, this can be read as a shift from competitive obsession to relational joy: instead of burning time proving ourselves to others, invest in the warmth of partnership, art, and a life with మర్యాదా (healthy limits). The humor also reminds us to keep desire civilized: శృంగార should elevate, not degrade.

A mature reading suggests: Treat desire as a signal, not a verdict. Attraction shows what the mind likes, but it does not decide what is right. Pause and ask: will this increase trust or reduce it; will it make tomorrow lighter or heavier? That small pause is వివేక (discernment). When you choose transparency and boundaries early, love stays dignified and does not turn into compulsion.

సంసారే స్వప్నసారే పరిణతితరలే ద్వే గతీ పండితానాం
తత్త్వజ్ఞానామృతాంభఃప్లవలలితధియాం యాతు కాలః కథంచిత్ ।
నో చేన్ముగ్ధాంగనానాం స్తనజఘనఘనాభోగసంభోగినీనాం
స్థూలోపస్థస్థలీషు స్థగితకరతలస్పర్శలీలోద్యమానామ్ ॥ 2.37 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
సంసారే - in worldly life; in సంసార
స్వప్న - dream
సారే - having as its essence; resembling (verse: స్వప్నసారే = dream-like)
పరిణతి - change; outcome; ripening
తరలే - unstable; fickle
ద్వే - two
గతీ - paths; ways
పండితానాం - of the learned
తత్త్వ - reality; principle
జ్ఞాన - knowledge
అమృత - nectar; immortal
అంభః - water
ప్లవ - boat; raft
లలిత - delighting in; playing in
ధియాం - of minds/intellects
తత్త్వజ్ఞానామృతాంభఃప్లవలలితధియాం - whose minds delight in the raft-like nectar-water of truth-knowledge
యాతు - let it pass/go
కాలః - time
కథంచిత్ - somehow; in some way
నో చేత్ - otherwise; if not
ముగ్ధ - innocent; naive
అంగనానాం - of women
స్తన - breast
జఘన - hip; buttocks
గన - mass; heaviness
భోగ - enjoyment; fullness
సంభోగినీనాం - of those who are enjoyed/embraced
స్థూల - broad
ఉపస్థ - lap; loins
స్థలీషు - in places/regions
స్థగిత - hidden; placed
కర-తల - palm of the hand
స్పర్శ - touch
లీలా - play
ఉద్యమానాం - striving; engaged in

Translation (భావార్థ):
In this dream-like and ever-shifting world, the learned have only two meaningful ways for time to pass: either through minds delighting in truth-knowledge - a raft of nectar - or else (if not that) amid the intimate play of innocent young women, rich in youthful abundance.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
భర్తృహరి draws a sharp line: in a world that is స్వప్నసార (dream-like) and తరల (unstable), do not waste your limited కాల (time) on trivialities. Choose depth - either the depth of తత్త్వజ్ఞాన (knowledge of what is real), or the depth of committed love. In ordinary situations, this reads as a call to stop living in scattered half-attention: either cultivate inner clarity (study, meditation, honest self-inquiry) or cultivate a relationship with presence and devotion. The verse is not telling everyone to renounce; it is asking everyone to be intentional.

If you want this verse to uplift you: Poetry delights, but real love must go beyond features. If you feel enchanted, translate it into care: listen well, keep promises, and honor consent. Admiration that becomes service is ennobling; admiration that becomes possession is painful. Use the verse to remember dignity - yours and the other's.

ఆవాసః క్రియతాం గంగే పాపహారిణి వారిణి ।
స్తనద్వయే తరుణ్యా వా మనోహారిణి హారిణి ॥ 2.38 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ఆవాసః - dwelling; residence
క్రియతాం - let it be made
గంగే - in the గంగా
పాప - sin; impurity
హారిణి - removing; stealing away
పాపహారిణి - that which removes sin
వారిణి - in water; in the waters
స్తనద్వయే - in the pair of breasts
తరుణ్యాః - of a young woman
వా - or
మనస్ - mind
హారిణి - stealing; captivating
మనోహారిణి - stealing the mind; captivating

Translation (భావార్థ):
Let your dwelling be made either in the sin-removing waters of the river Ganga, or in the mind-stealing bosom of a young woman.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse plays with a deliberately provocative equivalence: two kinds of refuge. One is sacred and purifying, the other intimate and emotionally absorbing. In modern terms, we all seek "places" where the mind rests - in prayer, in nature, in art, or in a trusted relationship. The practical అనుసంధాన is to choose refuges that actually cleanse rather than agitate: affection that increases kindness and steadiness is closer to పాపహారిణి (removing impurity), while obsession that makes us restless does the opposite.

From a broader perspective: Notice the role of attention. What you repeatedly contemplate becomes your inner landscape. So train attention not only on appearance but also on character - kindness, steadiness, truthfulness. This keeps romance from becoming fragile, because it is rooted in values, not only in sensation.

కిం ఇహ బహుభిరుక్తైర్యుక్తిశూన్యైః ప్రలాపైర్ద్వయం
ఇహ పురుషాణాం సర్వదా సేవనీయమ్ ।
అభినవమదలీలాలాలసం సుందరీణాం
స్తనభరపరిఖిన్నం యౌవనం వా వనం వా ॥ 2.39 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
కిం - what (use) is
ఇహ - here; in this world
బహుభిః - with many
ఉక్తైః - words; sayings
యుక్తి - reasoning; good sense
శూన్యైః - empty of; devoid of
యుక్తిశూన్యైః ప్రలాపైః - pointless chatter devoid of reason
ద్వయం - two things
పురుషాణాం - for men; of people
సర్వదా - always
సేవనీయం - worthy of pursuit; to be embraced
అభినవ - fresh; new
మద - intoxication; passion
లీలా - play
లాలసం - eager; craving
సుందరీణాం - of beautiful women
స్తన - breast
బర - burden; weight
పరిఖిన్నం - wearied; bent
యౌవనం - youth
వనం - forest (life of seclusion)
వా ... వా - either ... or

Translation (భావార్థ):
Why so much senseless talk? In this world, there are only two pursuits that people truly cling to: either the fresh, passionate youth of beautiful women, or the solitude of the forest.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This is another "two-paths" verse: stop justifying and pick a direction. Some choose భోగ (worldly enjoyment); some choose వన (simplicity, restraint, inner work). The problem is not which path you choose; the problem is drifting in ప్రలాప (aimless chatter) and indecision while time slips away. In the way we live now, this can mean: either build a committed relationship and household life, or deliberately make space for solitude and study - but do not pretend to choose one while feeding the other in secret.

On a subtler level: A deeper use of శృంగార is refinement. When something is beautiful, pause and notice the mind soften. Then let that softness turn into generosity, patience, and gratitude. In this way, beauty becomes a doorway to a better self, not a doorway to restlessness.

సత్యం జనా వచ్మి న పక్షపాతాల్
లోకేషు సప్తస్వపి తథ్యం ఏతత్ ।
నాన్యన్మనోహారి నితంబినీభ్యో
దుఃఖైకహేతుర్న చ కశ్చిదన్యః ॥ 2.40 ॥

ఛందః (ఇంద్రవజ్రా): This is in ఇంద్రవజ్రా (త్రిష్టుభ్ class) Chandas/Meter: 4 పాదాః, 11 అక్షరాః per పాద; లఘు/గురు pattern (per పాద) is `GGLGGLLGLGG`.

Meaning (పదార్థ):
సత్యం - truly
జనాః - people
వచ్మి - I say
న - not
పక్షపాతాత్ - out of bias; partiality
లోకేషు - in worlds
సప్త - seven
అపి - even
తథ్యం - true
ఏతత్ - this
న అన్యత్ - nothing else
మనోహారి - mind-stealing; captivating
నితంబినీభ్యః - from women with shapely hips (lit. "hip-possessors")
దుఃఖ - sorrow; pain
ఏక - single; only
హేతుః - cause
న చ - and not
కశ్చిత్ అన్యః - any other

Translation (భావార్థ):
People, I say this truly and without bias: across all the seven worlds, there is no other single cause of sorrow than captivating women.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
Taken literally, the verse sounds like blame; read more carefully, it is really about రాగ (attachment) and how it manufactures దుఃఖ (sorrow). Beauty is not a problem by itself - the problem is when the mind makes it "the one thing without which I cannot be happy". At home and at work, heartbreak, jealousy, and distraction often come less from a person and more from our own unexamined stories and expectations. భర్తృహరి's hyperbole is a nudge toward వివేక: enjoy శృంగార without surrendering inner freedom.

A gentle practice is: Enjoy beauty without losing balance. Keep the basics steady: sleep, work, friendships, and self-respect. If attraction is mutual, clarity and pace protect it; if it is not, restraint protects you. This is how the verse becomes practical wisdom instead of mere description.

కాంతేత్యుత్పలలోచనేతి విపులశ్రోణీభరేత్యున్నమత్పీనోత్తుంగ
పయోధరేతి సముఖాంభోజేతి సుభ్రూరితి ।
దృష్ట్వా మాద్యతి మోదతేఽభిరమతే ప్రస్తౌతి విద్వానపి
ప్రత్యక్షాశుచిభస్త్రికాం స్త్రియం అహో మోహస్య దుశ్చేష్టితమ్ ॥ 2.41 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
కాంతా - beloved
ఇతి - thus (as a form of address)
ఉత్పల - blue lotus
లోచన - eyes
ఉత్పలలోచన - lotus-eyed (address)
విపుల - broad; large
శ్రోణీ - hips; waist
భరః - load; heaviness
విపులశ్రోణీభరా - broad-hipped (address; verse: విపులశ్రోణీభరేతి)
ఉన్నమత్ - raised; uplifted
పీన - full; firm
ఉత్తుంగ - lofty; high
పయోధరా - breasts (lit. "milk-holders")
ఉన్నమత్పీనోత్తుంగపయోధరా - with high, full, lofty breasts
సముఖ - well-faced; charming
అంభోజ - lotus
సముఖాంభోజ - lotus-like face (address; verse: సముఖాంభోజేతి)
సుభ్రూ - beautiful-browed
దృష్ట్వా - seeing
మాద్యతి - becomes intoxicated; loses sobriety
మోదతే - rejoices
అభిరమతే - delights (verse: మోదతేఽభిరమతే = మోదతే + అభిరమతే)
ప్రస్తౌతి - praises
విద్వాన్ - learned man; scholar
అపి - even
ప్రత్యక్ష - directly visible
అశుచి - impure
బస్త్రికా - bag; skin-bag
ప్రత్యక్షాశుచిభస్త్రికా - a plainly visible bag of impurities
స్త్రియం - the woman
అహో - alas!
మోహ - delusion
దుశ్చేష్టితం - bad conduct; distorted action

Translation (భావార్థ):
Calling her "beloved", "lotus-eyed", "broad-hipped", "high and full-breasted", "lotus-faced", "beautiful-browed" - merely seeing her, even a scholar becomes intoxicated, rejoices, delights, and praises, though she is plainly a bag of impurities. Alas, what a mischief of delusion!

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This verse is not a denial of beauty; it is a diagnosis of మోహ (delusion) - the mind's habit of projecting permanence, purity, and "ultimate value" onto what is visibly a changing body. ఆది శంకరాచార్య often points to the same mechanism as అధ్యాస (superimposition): we overlay our fantasies onto what we see, then suffer when reality does not cooperate. These days, the effect is amplified by filters, curated images, and comparison-culture: the "look" becomes a story, and the story becomes obsession. The practical అనుసంధాన is to enjoy శృంగార with వివేక - appreciate the form without letting the mind forget impermanence, boundaries, and the deeper qualities that sustain love.

స్మృతా భవతి తాపాయ దృష్టా చోన్మాదకారిణీ ।
స్పృష్టా భవతి మోహాయ సా నామ దయితా కథమ్ ॥ 2.42 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
స్మృతా - remembered
భవతి - becomes
తాప - heat; burning; torment
తాపాయ - for torment
దృష్టా - seen
చ - and
ఉన్మాద - madness; frenzy
కారిణీ - causing (f.)
ఉన్మాదకారిణీ - causing frenzy
స్పృష్టా - touched
మోహ - delusion; bewilderment
మోహాయ - for delusion
సా - she
నామ - indeed; by name
దయితా - beloved
కథం - how

Translation (భావార్థ):
Remembered she burns; seen she drives one into frenzy; touched she bewilders. How then is she called a "beloved"?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse describes how obsession works: memory becomes తాప (inner heat), sight becomes agitation, and touch becomes మోహ (bewilderment). When you look around today, the same pattern appears with a "crush" that hijacks attention: you replay messages, interpret every glance, and lose calm. The practical అనుసంధాన is not to suppress love, but to keep it integrated with life: do your duties, keep your friendships, sleep well, and do not let a single person become the only axis of meaning.

A helpful way to apply this is: Poetry delights, but real love must go beyond features. If you feel enchanted, translate it into care: listen well, keep promises, and honor consent. Admiration that becomes service is ennobling; admiration that becomes possession is painful. Use the verse to remember dignity - yours and the other's.

తావదేవామృతమయీ యావల్లోచనగోచరా ।
చక్షుష్పథాదతీతా తు విషాదప్యతిరిచ్యతే ॥ 2.43 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
తావత్ - so long; until then
ఏవ - only
అమృతమయీ - full of nectar; like nectar
యావత్ - as long as
లోచన - eye
గోచరా - within range; accessible
లోచనగోచరా - within the range of sight
చక్షుః - eye
పథః - path
అతీతా - gone beyond
చక్షుష్పథాతీతా - gone beyond the path of the eyes (out of sight)
తు - but
విష - poison
అపి - even than
విషాద్ అపి - even than poison
అతిరిచ్యతే - exceeds; becomes greater

Translation (భావార్థ):
She is nectar only as long as she remains within sight; once she goes beyond the eyes' reach, she becomes worse than poison (through the pain of longing).

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This is a crisp description of attachment: presence feels sweet, absence feels toxic. The same object that delighted you becomes a source of agitation when it is out of reach. In daily interactions, this plays out in long-distance relationships, unanswered messages, and the anxiety of "not knowing". The practical అనుసంధాన is to build steadiness that does not depend entirely on proximity: cultivate trust, communicate clearly, and keep your mind anchored in work and inner practice rather than constant rumination.

To carry this wisely: Notice the role of attention. What you repeatedly contemplate becomes your inner landscape. So train attention not only on appearance but also on character - kindness, steadiness, truthfulness. This keeps romance from becoming fragile, because it is rooted in values, not only in sensation.

నామృతం న విషం కించిదేతాం ముక్త్వా నితంబినీమ్ ।
సైవామృతలతా రక్తా విరక్తా విషవల్లరీ ॥ 2.44 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
న - not
అమృతం - nectar
న - not
విషం - poison
కించిత్ - anything at all
ఏతాం - this
ముక్త్వా - leaving aside; except
నితంబినీం - the hip-bearing woman; the beloved
సా - she
ఏవ - indeed
అమృత-లతా - a creeper of nectar
రక్తా - attached; affectionate (also "red")
విరక్తా - detached; indifferent
విష-వల్లరీ - a creeper of poison

Translation (భావార్థ):
Except for this beloved, nothing is really nectar or poison: when she is affectionate she is a vine of nectar, and when she turns indifferent she becomes a vine of poison.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse points to how relationship "weather" is experienced: affection tastes like అమృత (nectar), coldness feels like విష (poison). In common experience, this can become a trap if we outsource our emotional stability to someone else's mood. A mature అనుసంధాన is to build two things at once: emotional self-reliance (so you do not collapse when someone is distant) and skillful communication (so distance is addressed, not hidden). Love becomes steadier when it is less about mood and more about mutual values and care.

A mature reading suggests: A deeper use of శృంగార is refinement. When something is beautiful, pause and notice the mind soften. Then let that softness turn into generosity, patience, and gratitude. In this way, beauty becomes a doorway to a better self, not a doorway to restlessness.

ఆవర్తః సంశయానాం అవినయభువనం పట్టణం సాహసానాం
దోషాణాం సన్నిధానం కపటశతమయం క్షేత్రం అప్రత్యయానామ్ ।
స్వర్గద్వారస్య విఘ్నో నరకపురముఖ సర్వమాయాకరండం
స్త్రీయంత్రం కేన సృష్టం విషం అమృతమయం ప్రాణిలోకస్య పాశః ॥ 2.45 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ఆవర్తః - whirlpool; vortex
సంశయానాం - of doubts; of indecision
అవినయ - lack of discipline; impropriety
భువనం - world; realm
పట్టణం - city
సాహసానాం - of rash acts; ventures
దోషాణాం - of faults
సన్నిధానం - storehouse; constant presence
కపట - deceit
శతం - a hundred
మయం - full of; made of
క్షేత్రం - field
అప్రత్యయానాం - of distrust; of unreliability
స్వర్గ - heaven; higher state
ద్వారస్య - of the gate
విఘ్నః - obstacle
నరక - hell; suffering
పుర - city
ముఖం - mouth; entrance
సర్వ - all
మాయా - illusion; the power of appearance
కరండం - basket; container; hive-like store
సర్వమాయాకరండం - a container of every illusion
స్త్రీయంత్రం - the "woman-device" (a metaphor for overwhelming fascination)
కేన - by whom
సృష్టం - created
విషం - poison
అమృతమయం - appearing like nectar; made of nectar
ప్రాణిలోకస్య - of the world of living beings
పాశః - noose; snare

Translation (భావార్థ):
Who created this "woman-device" - a whirlpool of doubts, a realm of indiscipline, a city of rashness, an abode of faults, a field made of a hundred deceits, an obstacle at heaven's gate and the doorway to hell, a basket of every illusion - a poison that appears as nectar, a snare for living beings?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This is one of భర్తృహరి's fiercest outbursts. If we read it as hatred of women, we miss the deeper target: uncontrolled fascination and the chaos it can create - doubt, rash action, secrecy, and loss of direction. The verse uses మాయా (the power of appearance) deliberately: what seems like అమృత (nectar) can behave like విష (poison) when pursued without వివేక. In contemporary life, the same pattern appears in any seductive fixation - an affair that destroys trust, an addiction that ruins health, or a "too good to be true" promise that becomes a trap. The practical అనుసంధాన is to honor attraction with ethics and boundaries, so that love becomes nourishment rather than a snare.

If you want this verse to uplift you: A simple daily practice is to check intention: am I trying to connect, or am I trying to win? The verse reminds us that relationship is built by small choices - listening, truthfulness, and respect for boundaries. When those are steady, even strong emotions become beautiful instead of chaotic.

నో సత్యేన మృగాంక ఏష వదనీభూతో న చేందీవరద్వంద్వం
లోచనతాం గత న కనకైరప్యంగయష్టిః కృతా ।
కింత్వేవం కవిభిః ప్రతారితమనాస్తత్త్వం విజానన్నపి
త్వఙ్మాంసాస్థిమయం వపుర్మృగదృశాం మందో జనః సేవతే ॥ 2.46 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
నో సత్యేన - not truly
మృగాంకః - the moon
ఏషః - this
వదనీ - face (as in "having a face")
భూతః - has become
న చ - nor
ఇందీవర - blue lotus
ద్వంద్వం - pair
లోచన - eye
తాం గతం - has become
న - not
కనకైః అపి - even with gold
అంగయష్టిః - the body; the figure
కృతా - made
కింతు - but
ఏవం - thus
కవిభిః - by poets
ప్రతారిత - deceived; tricked
మనాః - mind
తత్త్వం - reality
విజానన్ అపి - even knowing
త్వక్ - skin
మాంస - flesh
అస్థి - bone
మయం - made of
వపుః - body
మృగదృశాం - of deer-eyed women
మందః - dull; undiscerning
జనః - person
సేవతే - serves; clings to; worships

Translation (భావార్థ):
Truly, the moon has not become her face; nor have blue lotuses become her eyes; nor is her body made of gold. Yet the dull person, though knowing reality, still clings to the deer-eyed woman's body made of skin, flesh, and bone - his mind deceived by poets.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse exposes poetic exaggeration as a mirror for our own self-deception. We know, at some level, that the body is త్వక్-మాంస-అస్థి (skin-flesh-bone), yet we let language and imagery turn it into "moon", "lotus", and "gold". In everyday life, this is the same mechanism behind glamour and branding: a curated surface becomes "truth" in the mind. అద్వైత texts call this kind of mis-seeing అధ్యాస (superimposition): we project and then get bound by what we projected. The practical అనుసంధాన is to enjoy poetry and beauty while staying anchored in reality - and to value character, kindness, and steadiness more than metaphor.

లీలావతీనాం సహజా విలాసాస్త
ఏవ మూఢస్య హృది స్ఫురంతి ।
రాగో నలిన్యా హి నిసర్గసిద్ధస్తత్ర
భ్రమ్త్యేవ వృథా షడ్అంఘ్రిః ॥ 2.47 ॥

ఛందః (మాత్రా-చందస్): This is in a మాత్రా-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed అక్షర-count వృత్త): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 20 + 16 + 22 + 14 మాత్రాః (total 72); treat లఘు=1 మాత్రా and గురు=2 మాత్రాః, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse దండ with internal యతి).

Meaning (పదార్థ):
లీలావతీనాం - of playful women
సహజాః - natural; inborn
విలాసాః - graces; coquetries; playful gestures
త ఏవ - those alone
మూఢస్య - of the fool
హృది - in the heart
స్ఫురంతి - flash forth; appear vividly
రాగః - redness; passion; attachment
నలిన్యాః - of the lotus
హి - indeed
నిసర్గ - nature
సిద్ధః - established; inherent
నిసర్గసిద్ధః - naturally inherent
తత్ర - there; in that
భ్రమ్త్యా - by delusion
ఇవ - as if
వృథా - in vain; futilely
షడ్అంఘ్రిః - the bee (lit. "six-footed"; the verse uses for a join; read as షడంఘ్రిః)

Translation (భావార్థ):
In a fool's heart, the inborn graces of playful women alone keep flashing. The lotus's redness is natural; still the six-footed bee, deluded, buzzes about it in vain.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The analogy is subtle: the lotus does not become red because of the bee; the redness is నిసర్గసిద్ధ (inherent). Likewise, a charming person's gestures may be natural, not targeted - yet the infatuated mind reads them as special signals. In day-to-day living, this is the common misreading of friendliness as intimacy, or charisma as a private invitation. The practical అనుసంధాన is to check projections: observe behavior over time, seek clarity through respectful communication, and do not let రాగ (attachment) write stories faster than reality.

సంమోహయంతి మదయంతి విడంబయంతి
నిర్భర్త్స్యంతి రమయంతి విషాదయంతి ।
ఏతాః ప్రవిశ్య సదయం హృదయం నరాణాం
కిం నామ వామనయనా న సమాచరంతి ॥ 2.47.1 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
సంమోహయంతి - they delude; they bewilder
మదయంతి - they intoxicate
విడంబయంతి - they mock; they deceive
నిర్భర్త్స్యంతి - they scold; they rebuke
రమయంతి - they delight; they please
విషాదయంతి - they sadden; they cause despondency
ఏతాః - these (women)
ప్రవిశ్య - entering
సదయం - tender; compassionate; soft
హృదయం - heart
నరాణాం - of men; of people
కిం నామ - what indeed
వామ - beautiful; pleasing
నయనాః - eyes (f. pl.)
వామనయనాః - beautiful-eyed women
న - not
సమాచరంతి - do; perform

Translation (భావార్థ):
They bewilder, intoxicate, deceive, scold, delight, and sadden - once these beautiful-eyed women enter a man's tender heart, what is it that they do not do?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse captures the emotional range that intimate relationships can evoke: joy and hurt can alternate, sometimes within the same day. The poet is not listing "faults" so much as naming the power of closeness over the psyche. In lived experience, the lesson is not cynicism but maturity: if you let someone into the హృదయ (heart), you must also develop communication, patience, and క్షమా (forbearance), otherwise normal fluctuations feel like chaos. Love becomes stable not by eliminating emotion, but by learning to hold it wisely.

యదేతత్పూర్ణేందుద్యుతిహరం ఉదారాకృతి పరం
ముఖాబ్జం తన్వంగ్యాః కిల వసతి యత్రాధరమధు ।
ఇదం తత్కిం పాకద్రుమఫలం ఇదానీం అతిరసవ్యతీతేఽస్మిన్
కాలే విషం ఇవ భవిష్య్త్యసుఖదమ్ ॥ 2.48 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
యత్ - which
ఏతత్ - this
పూర్ణ - full
ఇందు - moon
ద్యుతి - radiance
హరం - stealing; taking away
పూర్ణేందుద్యుతిహరం - stealing the radiance of the full moon
ఉదార - expansive; noble
ఆకృతి - form; shape
పరం - excellent
ముఖ - face
అబ్జం - lotus
ముఖాబ్జం - lotus-face
తన్వీ - slender woman
అంగీ - the woman with limbs (a poetic term for the beloved)
తన్వంగీ - the slender beloved
తన్వంగ్యాః - of the slender beloved
కిల - indeed
వసతి - dwells
యత్ర - where
అధర - lip
మధు - honey
అధరమధు - the honey of the lips
ఇదం - this
తత్ - that
కిం - what
పాక - ripe; cooked
ద్రుమ - tree
ఫలం - fruit
పాకద్రుమఫలం - a ripe fruit of a tree
ఇదానీం - now
అతిరస - excessive sweetness; intense flavor
వ్యతీతే - when passed; after it has gone
అస్మిన్ - in this (verse: వ్యతీతేఽస్మిన్ = వ్యతీతే + అస్మిన్)
కాలే - in time
విషం ఇవ - like poison
భవిష్యతి - will become
అసుఖ-దం - causing unhappiness

Translation (భావార్థ):
This splendid lotus-face of the slender beloved, stealing the shine of the full moon, where the honey of her lips resides - is it not a ripe fruit? Yet when its excessive sweetness has passed with time, it will turn, as it were, into poison and bring pain.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse is a meditation on impermanence inside pleasure. What is sweet now can become bitter later - not because beauty is "wrong", but because time changes everything, and clinging turns change into suffering. In our daily routines, the same is true of novelty: the first phase of attraction is intense, but if the relationship is built only on అతిరస (over-sweetness), the later phases can feel like poison when reality arrives. The practical అనుసంధాన is to deepen love beyond the first sweetness: build trust, shared values, and a capacity to face change together.

ఉన్మీలత్త్రివలీతరంగనిలయా ప్రోత్తుంగపీనస్తనద్వంద్వేనోద్గత
చక్రవాకయుగలా వక్త్రాంబుజోద్భాసినీ ।
కాంతాకారధరా నదీయం అభితః క్రూరాత్ర నాపేక్షతే
సంసారార్ణవమజ్జనం యది తదా దూరేణ సంత్యజ్యతామ్ ॥ 2.49 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ఉన్మీలత్ - opening; blossoming
త్రివలీ - the three folds/lines on the belly
తరంగ - wave
నిలయా - abode; bed
ఉన్మీలత్త్రివలీతరంగనిలయా - whose bed is waves of blossoming త్రివలీ (poetic image)
ప్రోత్తుంగ - very lofty; very prominent
పీన - full; firm
స్తన - breast
ద్వంద్వం - pair
స్తనద్వంద్వం - pair of breasts
ఉద్గత - arisen; sprung forth
చక్రవాక - the చక్రవాక bird (a poetic emblem of lovers)
యుగలం - pair
చక్రవాకయుగలా - having a pair of చక్రవాకs (poetic image)
వక్త్ర - face
అంబుజ - lotus
ఉద్భాసినీ - shining
వక్త్రాంబుజోద్భాసినీ - shining with a lotus-face
కాంతా - beloved
ఆకార - form; shape
ధరా - bearing
నదీ - river
అయం - this
కాంతాకారధరా నదీ - this river bearing the form of a beloved
అభితః - on all sides; thoroughly
క్రూరా - cruel
అత్ర - here (verse: క్రూరాత్ర = క్రూరా + అత్ర)
న అపేక్షతే - does not care; does not show regard
సంసార - worldly life
అర్ణవ - ocean
మజ్జనం - drowning
యది - if
తదా - then
దూరేణ - from far away
సంత్యజ్యతాం - should be abandoned

Translation (భావార్థ):
This river shaped like a beloved - with waves like the soft lines of her waist, with a pair of love-birds rising from lofty, full breasts, shining with a lotus-like face - is cruel and shows no regard. If you wish to avoid drowning in the ocean of worldly life, abandon it from far away.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The poet turns attraction into a warning-sign: what looks enchanting can also be a current that pulls you under. The imagery is not anti-beauty; it is anti-blindness. In today's relationships, a relationship can become a "river" that drains you if it is built on compulsion, secrecy, or constant turmoil. The practical అనుసంధాన is early discernment: if you see patterns that reliably lead to loss of integrity, peace, or purpose, step back while you still can - because later the pull of రాగ (attachment) makes quitting far harder.

జల్పంతి సార్ధం అన్యేన పశ్యంత్యన్యం సవిభ్రమాః ।
హృద్గతం చింతయంత్యన్యం ప్రియః కో నామ యోషితామ్ ॥ 2.50 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
జల్పంతి - they chatter; they speak
సార్ధం - with
అన్యేన - with one (person)
పశ్యంతి - they look at
అన్యం - another (person)
సవిభ్రమాః - with coquetry; with playful charm
హృద్-గతం - gone into the heart; within the heart
చింతయంతి - they think of
అన్యం - another (person)
ప్రియః - dear; beloved
కః - who
నామ - indeed
యోషితాం - of women

Translation (భావార్థ):
They chat with one, glance at another with playful charm, and think of yet another in the heart - who, indeed, is the beloved of women?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
Read as a social observation, the verse points to fickleness and divided attention - a pattern not limited to any gender. When desire is shallow, attention jumps: conversation here, fantasy there. In real-world settings, this is intensified by endless options and constant messaging, where people keep one foot in and one foot out. The practical అనుసంధాన is to look for ఏకచిత్తతా (one-mindedness): if you want trust and stability, choose relationships where attention, intention, and commitment align.

మధు తిష్ఠతి వాచి యోషితాం హృది హాలాహలం ఏవ కేవలమ్ ।
అతఏవ నిపీయతేఽధరో హృదయం ముష్టిభిరేవ తాడ్యతే ॥ 2.51 ॥

ఛందః (మాత్రా-చందస్): This is in a మాత్రా-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed అక్షర-count వృత్త): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 32 + 30 మాత్రాః (total 62); treat లఘు=1 మాత్రా and గురు=2 మాత్రాః, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse దండ with internal యతి).

Meaning (పదార్థ):
మధు - honey
తిష్ఠతి - stays; abides
వాచి - in speech; on the tongue
యోషితాం - of women
హృది - in the heart
హాలాహలం - deadly poison (హాలాహల, from the ocean-churning story)
ఏవ - indeed; only
కేవలం - merely; solely
అతఏవ - therefore (the verse uses for a join; read as అతఏవ)
నిపీయతే - is drunk; is sipped (poetically: is kissed)
అధరః - lip (verse: నిపీయతేఽధరో = నిపీయతే + అధరః)
హృదయం - heart
ముష్టిభిః - with fists
తాడ్యతే - is struck; is beaten

Translation (భావార్థ):
Honey sits on women's tongues, but only poison in their hearts; therefore the lip is "drunk" (kissed), while the heart is, as it were, struck with fists.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse is deliberately harsh to make a psychological point: sweetness in words is not proof of sweetness in intention. The image of హాలాహల (the deadly poison that emerged during the churning of the ocean) is a warning against being intoxicated by flattery or surface charm. In lived experience, the same caution applies in romance and in business: love-bombing, empty promises, and performative kindness can hide manipulation. The practical అనుసంధాన is to measure people by consistency - speech aligned with action - and to keep boundaries so that attraction does not make you ignore red flags.

To carry this wisely: Let beauty become reverence rather than grasping. ఆది శంకరాచార్య opens సౌందర్య లహరీ with శివః శక్త్యా యుక్తో యది భవతి శక్తః ప్రభవితుం, hinting that beauty and power are inseparable from awareness. Seen that way, admiration can refine the heart. When respect is present, beauty uplifts; when entitlement is present, beauty binds.

అపసర సఖే దూరాదస్మాత్కటాక్షవిషానలాత్
ప్రకృతివిషమాద్యోషిత్సర్పాద్విలాసఫణాభృతః ।
ఇతరఫణినా దష్టః శక్యశ్చికిత్సితుం ఔషధైశ్చతుర్
వనితాభోగిగ్రస్తం హి మంత్రిణః ॥ 2.52 ॥

ఛందః (మాత్రా-చందస్): This is in a మాత్రా-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed అక్షర-count వృత్త): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 25 + 25 + 30 + 18 మాత్రాః (total 98); treat లఘు=1 మాత్రా and గురు=2 మాత్రాః, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse దండ with internal యతి).

Meaning (పదార్థ):
అపసర - move away; withdraw
సఖే - O friend
దూరాత్ - from far; far away
అస్మాత్ - from this
కటాక్ష - side-glance
విష - poison
అనల - fire
కటాక్షవిషానల - the poison-fire of a sidelong glance
ప్రకృతి - nature
విషమ - venomous; harmful
యోషిత్ - woman
సర్పః - snake
యోషిత్సర్పః - woman-snake (metaphor for dangerous fascination)
విలాస - coquettish play; graceful charm
ఫణా - hood (of a snake)
భృతః - bearing; wearing
విలాసఫణాభృతః - bearing the hood of charm
ఇతర - other
ఫణీ - snake (lit. "hooded one"; verse: ఫణినా)
దష్టః - bitten
శక్యః - possible
చికిత్సితుం - to treat; to cure
ఔషధైః - with medicines
చతుర్ - clever; skilled
వనితా - woman
భోగీ - snake (lit. "coiled one")
గ్రస్తం - seized; swallowed; overpowered
హి - indeed
మంత్రిణః - for the expert/healer; even for the skilled one

Translation (భావార్థ):
Move away, my friend, far from this poison-fire of a sidelong glance, from the naturally venomous woman-snake whose hood is coquettish charm. A bite from another snake can be treated with medicines, but one seized by the woman-snake cannot be cured even by the skilled.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This is hyperbolic, but the practical warning is clear: know your vulnerabilities and keep distance from what predictably burns you. Some temptations are easier to treat after the fact; others are easier only to avoid at the beginning. In ordinary situations, this can mean setting boundaries with someone who repeatedly pulls you into drama, or keeping space from environments that trigger addiction. The point is not to demonize people; it is to take responsibility for your own mind and not walk willingly into a "poison-fire" you already recognize.

విస్తారితం మకరకేతనధీవరేణ
స్త్రీసంజ్ఞితం బడిశం అత్ర భవాంబురాశౌ ।
యేనాచిరాత్తద్అధరామిషలోలమర్త్య
మత్స్యాన్వికృష్య విపచత్యనురాగవహ్నౌ ॥ 2.53 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
విస్తారితం - spread out; cast
మకరకేతన - Cupid (మకర-bannered)
ధీవరః - fisherman
ధీవరేణ - by the fisherman
స్త్రీ - woman
సంజ్ఞితం - named; called
బడిశం - fishhook
అత్ర - here
భవ - becoming; worldly existence
అంబు-రాశిః - ocean; mass of water
భవాంబురాశౌ - in the ocean of worldly existence
యేన - by which
అచిరాత్ - very soon
తద్అధర - her lip (the verse uses for a join; read as తదధర)
ఆమిషం - bait (lit. "meat")
లోల - greedy; eager
మర్త్యః - mortal
మత్స్యాన్ - fish (pl.)
వికృష్య - pulling out; drawing forth
విపచతి - cooks
అనురాగ - passion; attachment
వహ్నిః - fire
అనురాగవహ్నౌ - in the fire of passion

Translation (భావార్థ):
Cupid, the fisherman, casts into the ocean of worldly life a hook called "woman"; with it he soon drags out the mortal fish, greedy for the bait of her lips, and cooks him in the fire of passion.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The metaphor is sharp: desire is a hook, and a small "bait" can pull a person out of balance. In practical terms, the same mechanics exist in many forms: ads designed to trigger craving, apps designed to keep you scrolling, or flirtation that pulls you into choices you later regret. The practical అనుసంధాన is to notice the bait early - the thought that says "just one more" - and to regain agency before the hook sets. Attraction can be joyful, but when it becomes అనురాగ (binding attachment), it starts cooking peace itself.

కామినీకాయకాంతారే కుచపర్వతదుర్గమే ।
మా సంచర మనః పాంథ తత్రాస్తే స్మరతస్కరః ॥ 2.54 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
కామినీ - amorous woman; beloved
కాయ - body
కాంతార - wilderness; forest
కామినీకాయకాంతారే - in the wilderness of a woman's body (metaphor)
కుచ - breast
పర్వత - mountain
దుర్గమే - difficult to traverse
కుచపర్వతదుర్గమే - difficult because of the mountains of breasts (metaphor)
మా - do not
సంచర - wander; roam
మనః - O mind
పాంథ - traveler
తత్ర - there
ఆస్తే - dwells
స్మర - Cupid; desire
తస్కరః - thief; robber

Translation (భావార్థ):
O mind, traveler - do not wander in the wilderness of a woman's body, hard to cross with its "mountains" of breasts; for there the thief called desire lies in wait.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse speaks to the mind as a restless traveler: the real danger is not the object, but the inner thief - స్మర (desire) - that steals attention, energy, and clarity. In the way we live now, this can be seen in compulsive fantasizing that drains productivity and peace. The practical అనుసంధాన is simple: do not feed thoughts that you already know will spiral. Redirect early, keep healthy routines, and remember that self-control is not repression; it is choosing where the mind should live.

From a broader perspective: Separation teaches that the root of pain is clinging, not love itself. When you broaden your identity beyond one bond, you suffer less and you love better. Keep friendships, work, and inner practices alive. This does not reduce love; it stabilizes it.

వ్యాడీర్ఘేణ చలేన వక్త్రగతినా తేజస్వినా భోగినా
నీలాబ్జద్యుతినాహినా పరం అహం దృష్టో న తచ్చక్షుషా ।
దృష్టే సంతి చికిత్సకా దిశి దిశి ప్రాయేణ ధనార్థినో
ముగ్ధాక్షక్షణవీక్షితస్య న హి మే వైద్యో న చాప్యౌషధమ్ ॥ 2.55 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
వ్యాడ - snake
ఈర్ఘ - long
వ్యాడీర్ఘ - snake-long; very long
వ్యాడీర్ఘేణ - by the snake-long one (verse: వ్యాడీర్ఘేణ)
చలేన - moving; restless
వక్త్ర - face; head
గతి - movement
వక్త్రగతినా - by the head-movement
తేజస్వినా - radiant; shining
భోగినా - by the serpent (lit. "coiled one")
నీల - blue
అబ్జ - lotus
ద్యుతి - luster
నీలాబ్జద్యుతినా - with the luster of a blue lotus
అహినా - by the snake
పరం - indeed
అహం - I
దృష్టః - seen (verse: దృష్టో = దృష్టః)
న - not
తత్-చక్షుషా - by those eyes
దృష్టే - when seen/affected; when the case happens
సంతి - there are
చికిత్సకాః - physicians
దిశి దిశి - in every direction; everywhere
ప్రాయేణ - generally
ధనార్థినాః - wealth-seeking; fee-seeking (verse: ధనార్థినో = ధనార్థినాః)
ముగ్ధ - innocent; simple
అక్ష - eye
ముగ్ధాక్ష - innocent-eyed
క్షణ - moment
వీక్షితం - a look; glance
ముగ్ధాక్షక్షణవీక్షితస్య - of the momentary glance of the innocent-eyed (girl)
న హి - indeed not
మే - for me
వైద్యః - physician
న చ అపి - nor also
ఔషధం - medicine

Translation (భావార్థ):
I have never been looked at by a radiant serpent - long, restless in its head-movement, gleaming like a blue lotus. And even if I were, physicians are found everywhere, generally seeking fees; but for the momentary glance of an innocent-eyed girl, I have neither doctor nor medicine.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse says a romantic wound can feel more incurable than a physical one. For bodily pain, we have systems - doctors, medicines, protocols. For the mind's agitation caused by a single glance, the cure is slower: time, self-restraint, and re-centering the mind. At home and at work, this is why "closure" is not a quick fix; emotional attachment is a habit-pattern. The practical అనుసంధాన is to treat lovesickness like any other mental loop: reduce triggers, avoid rehearsing the fantasy, and replace it with meaningful work, friendships, and inner practice.

ఇహ హి మధురగీతం నృత్యం ఏతద్రసోఽయం
స్ఫురతి పరిమలోఽసౌ స్పర్శ ఏష స్తనానామ్ ।
ఇతి హతపరమార్థైరింద్రియైర్భ్రామ్యమాణః
స్వహితకరణధూర్తైః పంచభిర్వంచితోఽస్మి ॥ 2.56 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ఇహ - here; in this (world)
హి - indeed
మధుర - sweet
గీతం - song
నృత్యం - dance
రసః - aesthetic flavor; pleasure
అయం - this
రసోఽయం - this రస (verse: రసోఽయం = రసః + అయం)
స్ఫురతి - shines forth; appears vividly
పరిమలః - fragrance
అసౌ - that
పరిమలోఽసౌ - that fragrance (verse: పరిమలోఽసౌ = పరిమలః + అసౌ)
స్పర్శః - touch
ఏషః - this
స్తనానాం - of breasts
ఇతి - thus
హత - destroyed; ruined
పరమార్థ - highest purpose; true goal
పరమార్థైః - with true goals (instrumental pl.)
ఇంద్రియైః - by the senses
భ్రామ్యమాణః - wandering; being deluded
స్వ-హిత - one's own welfare
కరణ - doing; making
ధూర్తైః - by rogues; tricksters
స్వహితకరణధూర్తైః - by rogues pretending to work for my good
పంచభిః - by the five
వంచితః - cheated
అస్మి - I am
వంచితోఽస్మి - I am cheated (verse: వంచితోఽస్మి = వంచితః + అస్మి)

Translation (భావార్థ):
Here are sweet song and dance, all this delight; here is that fragrance, this touch of breasts - and so, my senses, having ruined my higher purpose, make me wander; I have been cheated by the five rogues that pretend to act for my welfare.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This is an honest confession about the senses (ఇంద్రియ): they promise happiness, but often steal time and clarity. The poet calls them ధూర్తs (rogues) because they pretend to be "for my good" while pulling the mind outward. These days, this is not only about romance; it is also about endless entertainment and distraction that feels sweet in the moment and empty afterward. The practical అనుసంధాన is ఇంద్రియ-నిగ్రహ (training the senses): consciously choose what you consume, set limits, and keep a higher aim in view so that pleasure supports life rather than replacing it.

న గమ్యో మంత్రాణాం న చ భవతి భైషజ్యవిషయో
న చాపి ప్రధ్వంసం వ్రజతి వివిధైః శాంతికశతైః ।
భ్రమావేశాదంగే కం అపి విదధద్భంగం అసకృత్
స్మరాపస్మారోఽయం భ్రమయతి దృశం ఘూర్ణయతి చ ॥ 2.57 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
న - not
గమ్యః - reachable; curable; amenable
మంత్రాణాం - by mantras
న చ - nor
భవతి - becomes
భైషజ్య - medicine
విషయః - object; domain
భైషజ్యవిషయః - a case for medicine
న చ అపి - nor even
ప్రధ్వంసం - destruction; ending
వ్రజతి - goes
వివిధ - various
శాంతిక - pacifying rite
శతైః - by hundreds
భ్రమా - delusion
ఆవేశాత్ - by possession/entry
అంగే - in the body
కం అపి - someone; something
విదధత్ - producing; causing
భంగం - disturbance; break
అసకృత్ - repeatedly
స్మర - Cupid; desire
అపస్మారః - epilepsy (used here as a metaphor)
అయం - this
స్మరాపస్మారోఽయం - this Cupid-epilepsy (verse: స్మరాపస్మారోఽయం = స్మరాపస్మారః + అయం)
భ్రమయతి - makes wander; makes reel
దృశం - the sight; the eyes
ఘూర్ణయతి - makes whirl; makes spin
చ - and

Translation (భావార్థ):
It cannot be cured by mantras, it is not a case for medicine, and it does not go away even with hundreds of pacifying rites. Entering the body like delusion and repeatedly causing disturbance, this "Cupid-epilepsy" makes the eyes reel and whirl.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
భర్తృహరి uses అపస్మార (epilepsy) as a metaphor for lovesickness: the mind loses steadiness, and perception itself "spins". When you look around today, we sometimes try to treat emotional obsession with quick fixes - advice, rituals, distractions - but the deeper cure is inner work: reducing triggers, cultivating calm routines, and rebuilding self-respect and purpose. The practical అనుసంధాన is to recognize when desire has become a disturbance-pattern, and to respond with disciplined care rather than drama.

జాత్య్అంధాయ చ దుర్ముఖాయ చ జరాజీర్ణా ఖిలాంగాయ చ
గ్రామీణాయ చ దుష్కులాయ చ గలత్కుష్ఠాభిభూతాయ చ ।
యచ్ఛంతీషు మనోహరం నిజవపులక్ష్మీలవశ్రద్ధయా
పణ్యస్త్రీషు వివేకకల్పలతికాశస్త్రీషు రాజ్యేత కః ॥ 2.58 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
జాత్య్అంధః - blind from birth (the verse uses for a join; read as జాత్యంధః)
జాత్య్అంధాయ - to one blind from birth
చ - and
దుర్ముఖః - ugly-faced
దుర్ముఖాయ - to an ugly-faced one
జరా - old age
జీర్ణః - worn out
జరాజీర్ణాయ - to one worn out by age
ఖిలాంగః - crippled; deformed
ఖిలాంగాయ - to a crippled one
గ్రామీణః - rustic; uncultured
గ్రామీణాయ - to a rustic one
దుష్కులః - of bad/low family
దుష్కులాయ - to one of low family
గలత్ - falling; oozing
కుష్ఠ - leprosy
అభిభూతః - afflicted; overcome
గలత్కుష్ఠాభిభూతాయ - to one afflicted by leprosy
యచ్ఛంతీషు - when (they are) giving
మనోహరం - charming; attractive
నిజ - their own
వపుః - body
లక్ష్మీ - beauty; splendor
లవ - a small portion
శ్రద్ధయా - with confidence; with faith
నిజవపులక్ష్మీలవశ్రద్ధయా - trusting even a little in their body's beauty
పణ్య - for sale
స్త్రీషు - among women
పణ్యస్త్రీషు - among women for sale (courtesans)
వివేక - discrimination; discernment
కల్పలతికా - wish-fulfilling creeper; here: a creeper-like metaphor
శస్త్రం - weapon; sword
శస్త్రీషు - among those who are like weapons
వివేకకల్పలతికాశస్త్రీషు - among women who act like a weapon against the creeper of discernment
రాజ్యేత - would rule; would remain sovereign
కః - who

Translation (భావార్థ):
When courtesans, trusting even a little in their bodily beauty, offer charms even to the born-blind, the ugly, the age-worn, the crippled, the rustic, the low-born, and the leprous - who could remain sovereign (in self-control) before such women, like weapons that cut down discernment?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse is really about the market-power of desire and how it can erase వివేక (discernment). When attraction becomes transactional, it can become indifferent to dignity on both sides: the buyer is driven by craving, the seller by profit, and both are reduced. In daily interactions, the same dynamic exists anywhere desire is monetized - not only in sexuality, but in any industry that profits from addiction. The practical అనుసంధాన is to protect వివేక: notice manipulation, avoid feeding compulsions, and choose relationships that honor personhood rather than treat people as objects.

వేశ్యాసౌ మదనజ్వాలా
రూపేఽంధనవివర్ధితా ।
కామిభిర్యత్ర హూయంతే
యౌవనాని ధనాని చ ॥ 2.59 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
వేశ్యా - courtesan; prostitute
అసౌ - this
మదన - Cupid; desire
జ్వాలా - flame
మదనజ్వాలా - a flame of desire
రూప - beauty; form
ఇంధనం - fuel
రూపేఽంధన - fuel of beauty (verse: రూపేఽంధన = రూపే + ఇంధన)
వివర్ధితా - increased; fanned
కామిభిః - by lovers; by the desirous
యత్ర - where
హూయంతే - are offered into fire; are sacrificed
యౌవనాని - youth (pl.)
ధనాని - wealth (pl.)
చ - and

Translation (భావార్థ):
This courtesan is a flame of desire, fanned by the fuel of beauty; into her fire, lovers pour their youth and wealth.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse is a moral metaphor: when pleasure becomes a paid addiction, it can burn both యౌవన (youth) and ధన (wealth). In common experience, "flames" like this are not only courtesans; they can be any habit that consumes time, money, and health while promising relief. The practical అనుసంధాన is to track what your pleasures cost you over months and years, not over minutes - and to redirect resources toward what builds you rather than burns you.

కశ్చుంబతి కులపురుషో వేశ్యాధరపల్లవం మనోజ్ఞం అపి ।
చారభటచోరచేటకనటవిటనిష్ఠీవనశరావమ్ ॥ 2.60 ॥

ఛందః (మాత్రా-చందస్): This is in a మాత్రా-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed అక్షర-count వృత్త): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 31 + 27 మాత్రాః (total 58); treat లఘు=1 మాత్రా and గురు=2 మాత్రాః, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse దండ with internal యతి).

Meaning (పదార్థ):
కః - who
చుంబతి - kisses
కుల - noble family; respectable lineage
పురుషః - man; person
కులపురుషః - a respectable person
వేశ్యా - courtesan
అధర - lip
పల్లవం - bud; tender shoot
వేశ్యాధరపల్లవం - the bud-like lip of a courtesan
మనోజ్ఞం - charming
అపి - even
చార - spy
భ్హట - soldier
చోర - thief
చేటక - servant
నట - actor; performer
విట - rake; parasite
నిష్ఠీవనం - spittle
శరావం - bowl; dish
నిష్ఠీవనశరావం - a bowl of spittle (metaphor for promiscuity)

Translation (భావార్థ):
What respectable person would kiss even the charming, bud-like lip of a courtesan - a "spittle-bowl" for spies, soldiers, thieves, servants, actors, and rakes?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse is intentionally shocking: it tries to break romantic glamour by forcing a thought of hygiene, promiscuity, and self-respect. In contemporary life, the underlying point can be read as a warning about casual intimacy without care: it carries health risks and also emotional consequences. The practical అనుసంధాన is to bring dignity and responsibility into desire: choose relationships where trust, exclusivity (if promised), and mutual respect exist - and do not let momentary craving override long-term wellbeing.

ధన్యాస్త ఏవ ధవలాయతలోచనానాం
తారుణ్యదర్పఘనపీనపయోధరాణామ్ ।
క్షామోదరోపరి లసత్త్రివలీలతానాం
దృష్ట్వాకృతిం వికృతిం ఏతి మనో న యేషామ్ ॥ 2.61 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ధన్యాః - blessed; fortunate
తః - those (verse: ధన్యాస్త = ధన్యాః + తః)
ఏవ - indeed
ధవల - bright; white
ఆయత - long; wide
లోచనానాం - of eyes
ధవలాయతలోచనానాం - of women with bright, wide eyes
తారుణ్య - youth
దర్ప - pride; boldness
గన - abundance; mass
పీన - full; firm
పయోధరాణాం - of breasts
తారుణ్యదర్పఘనపీనపయోధరాణాం - of women with full, firm breasts (swollen with youthful pride)
క్షామ - slender; thin
ఉదర - belly
ఉపరి - upon
లసత్ - shining; sporting
త్రివలీ - the three folds/lines (on the belly)
లతా - creeper; vine
త్రివలీలతానాం - of vine-like triple folds
క్షామోదరోపరి - upon a slender belly
క్షామోదరోపరి లసత్త్రివలీలతానాం - of women whose slender bellies bear shining, vine-like triple folds
దృష్ట్వా - having seen
ఆకృతిం - form; shape
వికృతిం - distortion; change; agitation
ఏతి - goes to; becomes
మనః - mind
న - not
యేషాం - of whom

Translation (భావార్థ):
Blessed indeed are those whose minds do not become distorted even after seeing the captivating forms of such women - bright-eyed, full with youthful pride, and slender-waisted with the triple folds on the belly shining like vines.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse praises an inner stability that is rare: the ability to see beauty without being pushed into compulsion. In everyday life, this is not only about romance - it is the same skill we need with anything that can hijack attention (social media, luxury, status, flattery). The practical అనుసంధాన is సంయమ (self-restraint): you can appreciate what is attractive while choosing your response deliberately. This protects both your dignity and the dignity of others.

బాలే లీలాముకులితం అమీ మంథరా దృష్టిపాతాః
కిం క్షిప్యంతే విరమవిరమ వ్యర్థ ఏష శ్రమస్తే ।
సంప్రత్యన్యే వయం ఉపరతం బాల్యం ఆస్థా వనాంతే
క్షీణో మోహస్తృణం ఇవ జగజ్జాలం ఆలోకయామః ॥ 2.62 ॥

ఛందః (మందాక్రాంతా): This is in మందాక్రాంతా (సమ-వృత్త) Chandas/Meter: 4 పాదాః, 17 అక్షరాః per పాద; లఘు/గురు pattern (per పాద) is `GGGG LLLLLG GLGGLGG`; యతి (pause) is after the 4th and 10th syllables in each పాద.

Meaning (పదార్థ):
బాలే - O young girl
లీలా - playfulness; sport
ముకులితం - half-closed like a bud
లీలాముకులితం - playfully half-closed (about the eyes/glance)
అమీ - these
మంథరాః - slow; languid
దృష్టి - sight; glance
పాతాః - falls; castings
దృష్టిపాతాః - glances
కిం - why
క్షిప్యంతే - are thrown/cast
విరమ - stop
విరమ - stop (repeated for emphasis)
వ్యర్థః - futile
ఏషః - this
శ్రమః - effort
తే - your
సంప్రతి - now
అన్యే - different; other
వయం - we
ఉపరతం - ended; ceased
బాల్యం - childishness; immaturity
ఆస్థా - taking up; abiding; residence
వనాంతే - in the forest; at the forest's edge
క్షీణః - diminished; worn out
మోహః - delusion
తృణం - grass; straw
ఇవ - like
జగత్ - world
జాలం - net; web
జగజ్జాలం - the world's net; worldly entanglement
ఆలోకయామః - we look upon; we behold

Translation (భావార్థ):
O girl, why do you keep casting these slow, playfully half-closed glances? Stop, stop - your effort is futile. We have now left childishness behind and taken up life in the forest; delusion has faded, and we behold the world's net as mere straw.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse describes a shift in priorities: when మోహ (delusion - the mind's spell of "this alone will fulfill me") weakens, the same attractions lose their grip. In day-to-day living, this can happen when someone commits to a higher aim - disciplined study, service, or spiritual practice. The practical అనుసంధాన is honest boundaries: if you have chosen a path, do not keep one foot in flirtation and one foot in renunciation. Clarity is kinder than mixed signals.

ఇయం బాలా మాం ప్రత్యనవరతం ఇందీవరదలప్రభా
చీరం చక్షుః క్షిపతి కిం అభిప్రేతం అనయా ।
గతో మోహోఽస్మాకం స్మరశబరబాణవ్యతికరజ్వర
జ్వాలా శాంతా తదపి న వరాకీ విరమతి ॥ 2.63 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ఇయం - this
బాలా - young girl
మాం - me
ప్రతి - toward (verse: మాం ప్రతి)
అనవరతం - continually; without pause
ఇందీవర - blue lotus
దల - petal
ప్రభా - radiance; luster
ఇందీవరదలప్రభా - radiance like a blue-lotus petal (about her glance/eyes)
చీరం - for a long time
చక్షుః - eye; glance
క్షిపతి - throws; casts
కిం - what
అభిప్రేతం - intended
అనయా - by her
గతః - gone
మోహః - delusion
అస్మాకం - of us (verse: మోహోఽస్మాకం = మోహః + అస్మాకం)
స్మర - Cupid; desire
శబర - hunter
బాణ - arrow
వ్యతికర - crowd; shower; barrage
జ్వర - fever
జ్వాలా - flame
స్మరశబరబాణవ్యతికరజ్వర - fever born of Cupid-the-hunter's shower of arrows
శాంతా - cooled; quenched
తదపి - even then
న - not
వరాకీ - the poor girl
విరమతి - stops; ceases

Translation (భావార్థ):
This young girl keeps casting, again and again, her blue-lotus-petal-like gaze toward me for a long time - what does she intend? Our delusion is gone; the fever-flame born of Cupid-the-hunter's shower of arrows is quenched, and yet the poor girl does not stop.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse shows two different inner worlds meeting: one side still speaks through glances and longing, the other has moved on. In our daily routines, this mismatch happens when one person seeks attention and the other has clearly shifted priorities - or when someone continues to flirt after another person has stepped away. The practical అనుసంధాన is to respond with respect: do not exploit attention, and do not shame vulnerability. Where possible, give clarity; where not, keep distance without cruelty.

On a subtler level: Let romance be powered by values, not by secrecy. What feels thrilling in the moment can become harm if it breaks సత్య (truthfulness) or trust. A practical step is to slow down the first surge: wait, reflect, and speak honestly. Love that respects truth becomes a blessing; love that hides becomes a burden.

కిం కందర్ప కరం కదర్థయసి రే కోదండటంకారితం
రే రే కోకిల కోమలం కలరవం కిం వా వృథా జల్పసి ।
ముగ్ధే స్నిగ్ధవిదగ్ధచారుమధురైర్లోలైః కటాక్షైరలం
చేతశ్చుంబితచంద్రచూడచరణధ్యానామృతం వర్తతే ॥ 2.64 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
కిం - why
కందర్ప - Cupid; desire-personified
కరం - hand; here: Cupid's grasp/assault (a force that "handles" the mind)
కదర్థయసి - trouble; torment; abuse
రే - O! (interjection)
కోదండ - bow
టంకారితం - made to twang/resound; ringing
రే రే - O! O!
కోకిల - cuckoo
కోమలం - soft; sweet
కలరవం - gentle sound; cooing
కిం - why
వా - or
వృథా - in vain
జల్పసి - you sing/prattle
ముగ్ధే - O innocent one
స్నిగ్ధ - affectionate; smooth
విదగ్ధ - clever; artful
చారు - lovely
మధురైః - sweet
లోలైః - playful; restless
కటాక్షైః - with sidelong glances
అలం - enough!
చేతః - mind
చుంబిత - kissed; touched
చంద్రచూడ - moon-crested Lord Shiva
చరణ - feet
ధ్యాన - meditation
అమృతం - nectar
చేతశ్చుంబితచంద్రచూడచరణధ్యానామృతం - the nectar of meditation on Shiva's feet, "kissed" by the mind
వర్తతే - remains; abides; is engaged

Translation (భావార్థ):
Why, Cupid, do you still trouble me with your bow's twang? O cuckoo, why sing your sweet notes in vain? O innocent girl, enough with your affectionate, clever, lovely, sweet, playful side-glances - my mind abides in the nectar of meditation on the feet of moon-crested Shiva.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse points to a principle found across భక్తి and యోగ: a lower pull weakens when a higher taste becomes real. When the mind is absorbed in ధ్యాన (steady contemplation), even springtime triggers - birdsong, flirtation, the climate of desire - lose their power. In today's relationships, this is the difference between willpower and purpose: sheer resistance is exhausting, but a clear inner anchor makes restraint natural. The practical అనుసంధాన is to build that anchor intentionally through daily practice.

A gentle practice is: From an inner standpoint, remember that the rush is a wave in the mind. ఆది శంకరాచార్య reminds us in ఆత్మ షటకం, మనో బుద్ధ్యహంకార చిత్తాని నాహం (I am not the mind, intellect, ego, or mind-stuff). Returning to that witness does not kill love; it makes love workable, so you can act with dignity instead of being driven.

విరహేఽపి సంగమః ఖలు
పరస్పరం సంగతం మనో యేషామ్ ।
హృదయం అపి విఘట్టితం చేత్
సంగీ విరహం విశేషయతి ॥ 2.65 ॥

ఛందః (మాత్రా-చందస్): This is in a మాత్రా-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed అక్షర-count వృత్త): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 13 + 18 + 14 + 15 మాత్రాః (total 60); treat లఘు=1 మాత్రా and గురు=2 మాత్రాః, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse దండ with internal యతి).

Meaning (పదార్థ):
విరహే - in separation
అపి - even (verse: విరహేఽపి = విరహే + అపి)
సంగమః - union; meeting
ఖలు - indeed
పరస్పరం - mutually
సంగతం - united; joined
మనః - mind
యేషాం - of whom
హృదయం - heart
అపి - even
విఘట్టితం - broken; shattered
చేత్ - if
సంగీ - one united; a companion (one whose mind is joined)
విరహం - separation
విశేషయతి - makes special; intensifies; heightens

Translation (భావార్థ):
Even in separation there is union for those whose minds are mutually united; and even if the heart is broken, that very union only heightens the poignancy of separation.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse captures a paradox: emotional closeness can make absence feel more intense. In real-world settings, this is the psychology of long-distance love - the bond remains, but the distance amplifies longing. The practical అనుసంధాన is to support the bond with clear communication and shared routines (regular calls, mutual plans, trust), so that విరహ (separation) does not become needless suffering.

One more layer is this: Longing magnifies: the mind replays memories and interprets everything through absence. Give longing a wholesome outlet - write, create, pray, or serve - so it becomes expression rather than rumination. If you are in relationship, turn longing into reliability and communication rather than suspicion.

కిం గతేన యది సా న జీవతి
ప్రాణితి ప్రియతమా తథాపి కిమ్ ।
ఇత్యుదీక్ష్య నవమేఘమాలికాం
న ప్రయాతి పథికః స్వమందిరమ్ ॥ 2.66 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
కిం - what (use) is
గతేన - by going; by returning
యది - if
సా - she
న - not
జీవతి - lives
ప్రాణితి - breathes; lives
ప్రియతమా - the beloved
తథాపి - even then
కిం - what (use)
ఇతి - thus
ఉదీక్ష్య - having looked at; having seen
నవ - new
మేఘ - cloud
మాలికాం - row; garland
న - not
ప్రయాతి - goes
పథికః - traveler
స్వ - own
మందిరం - home

Translation (భావార్థ):
Thinking, "What is the point of going back if she is not alive? And even if the beloved is alive, what then?" - on seeing a garland of fresh clouds, the traveler does not go to his home.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse portrays how longing can paralyze action: the mind spins scenarios, and even a simple return home becomes impossible. In lived experience, this is the avoidance that comes from fear - fear of rejection, change, or what we will find when we return. The practical అనుసంధాన is to stop feeding hypothetical misery and take the next honest step: communicate, show up, and accept whatever truth is present rather than living inside anxious imagination.

A helpful way to apply this is: Separation teaches that the root of pain is clinging, not love itself. When you broaden your identity beyond one bond, you suffer less and you love better. Keep friendships, work, and inner practices alive. This does not reduce love; it stabilizes it.

విరమత బుధా యోషిత్సంగాత్సుఖాత్క్షణభంగురాత్
కురుత కరుణామైత్రీప్రజ్ఞావధూజనసంగమమ్ ।
న ఖలు నరకే హారాక్రాంతం ఘనస్తనమండలం
శరణం అథవా శ్రోణీబింబం రణన్మణిమేఖలమ్ ॥ 2.67 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
విరమత - desist; refrain
బుధాః - O wise ones
యోషిత్ - woman
సంగాత్ - from association; from company
సుఖ్హాత్ - from pleasure
క్షణ - moment
భంగుర - fragile; quickly broken
క్షణభంగురాత్ - fleeting; lasting only a moment
కురుత - do; cultivate
కరుణా - compassion
మైత్రీ - friendship; loving-kindness
ప్రజ్ఞా - wisdom; insight
వధూ - bride (metaphor here)
జన - people
సంగమం - association; company
కరుణామైత్రీప్రజ్ఞావధూజనసంగమం - company of compassion, friendship, and the bride named wisdom
న - not
ఖలు - indeed
నరకే - in hell
హార - necklace
ఆక్రాంతం - encircled; covered
ఘన - dense; heavy
స్తన - breast
మండలం - orb; circle
ఘనస్తనమండలం - a heavy orb of breasts (poetic)
శరణం - refuge
అథవా - or
శ్రోణీ - hips
బింబం - orb; round fruit (poetic for rounded hips)
రణన్ - jingling
మణి - jewel
మేఖలా - girdle
రణన్మణిమేఖలం - a jingling jeweled girdle

Translation (భావార్థ):
Wise ones, refrain from the fleeting pleasure found in women's company; cultivate instead the company of compassion, friendship, and wisdom. For in hell, neither necklace-clad heavy bosoms nor rounded hips with jingling jeweled girdles will be your refuge.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse contrasts short-lived thrills with long-lived virtues. It uses sensual imagery as a symbol for క్షణిక (momentary) pleasure: when consequences arrive, beauty cannot protect you. In ordinary situations, the same pattern shows up when impulse overrides ethics - an affair, an addiction, or a dishonest shortcut. The practical అనుసంధాన is to actively invest in కరుణా (compassion), మైత్రీ (friendship), and ప్రజ్ఞా (wisdom): these are the supports that remain when circumstances become difficult.

To carry this wisely: Timing matters. Do not try to resolve everything at peak emotion. Pause, cool down, then speak. When you repair quickly and gently, love becomes a place of safety; when you turn small quarrels into ego battles, romance becomes exhaustion. Let the verse nudge you toward calmer repair.

యదా యోగాభ్యాసవ్యసనకృశయోరాత్మమనసోరవిచ్ఛిన్నా
మైత్రీ స్ఫురతి కృతినస్తస్య కిం ఉ తైః ।
ప్రియాణాం ఆలాపైరధరమధుభిర్వక్త్రవిధుభిః
సనిశ్వాసామోదైః సకుచకలశాశ్లేషసురతైః ॥ 2.68 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
యదా - when
యోగ - yoga
అభ్యాస - practice
వ్యసన - intense habit; absorbed pursuit
కృశ - thin; lean (i.e., desires weakened; body/mind made light)
యోగాభ్యాసవ్యసనకృశయోః - of (one) made lean by intense yoga-practice
ఆత్మ - self
మనసోః - of the self and the mind (dual)
అవిచ్ఛిన్నా - unbroken; uninterrupted
మైత్రీ - friendship; harmony
స్ఫురతి - shines forth; appears
కృతినః - of the accomplished one
తస్య - for him
కిం ఉ - what indeed (need)
తైః - by those
ప్రియాణాం - of loved ones
ఆలాపైః - with conversations; talk
అధర - lip
మధు - honey
అధరమధుభిః - with honey of the lips
వక్త్ర - face
విధు - moon
వక్త్రవిధుభిః - with moon-like faces
నిశ్వాస - breath; exhalation
ఆమోద - fragrance
సనిశ్వాసామోదైః - with the fragrance of breath
కుచ - breast
కలశ - pot (metaphor for rounded breasts)
ఆశ్లేష - embrace
సురత - lovemaking; intimacy
సకుచకలశాశ్లేషసురతైః - with intimate embraces of the "pot-like" breasts

Translation (భావార్థ):
When, through intense meditative discipline, an unbroken harmony between the self and the mind shines in an accomplished person, what need has he of lovers' talk, honey-lips, moonlike faces, fragrant breaths, and intimate embraces?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This verse describes a shift from outward sweetness to inward fullness. When the mind becomes a friend to the ఆత్మ (Self), it no longer begs the world for constant stimulation. In practical terms, this shows up when someone experiences deep contentment from meditation, meaningful work, or service: external pleasures are still seen, but they are no longer necessities. The practical అనుసంధాన is to build that inner friendship gradually through daily practice rather than expecting desire to disappear by mere moral effort.

A mature reading suggests: This is also an invitation to అనుసంధాన (contemplative linking): notice how the same object looks different when you are agitated versus when you are calm. That observation itself is freedom. As calm grows, the world is still beautiful, but it no longer owns you.

యదాసీదజ్ఞానం స్మరతిమిరసంచారజనితం
తదా దృష్టనారీమయం ఇదం అశేషం జగదితి ।
ఇదానీం అస్మాకం పటుతరవివేకాంజనజుషాం
సమీభూతా దృష్టిస్త్రిభువనం అపి బ్రహ్మ మనుతే ॥ 2.69 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
యదా - when
ఆసీత్ - was
అజ్ఞానం - ignorance
యదాసీదజ్ఞానం - when there was ignorance (verse join)
స్మర - Cupid; desire
తిమిర - darkness
సంచార - roaming; movement
జనితం - produced
స్మరతిమిరసంచారజనితం - produced by the roaming darkness of desire
తదా - then
దృష్ట - seen
నారీ - woman
మయం - made of; consisting of
దృష్టనారీమయం - seen as "made of woman" (everything looked like her)
ఇదం - this
అశేషం - entire; without remainder
జగత్ - world
ఇతి - thus
ఇదానీం - now
అస్మాకం - of us
పటుతరా - very sharp
వివేక - discernment
అంజన - collyrium; eye-ointment (metaphor: clarifying medicine for the eye of understanding)
జుషాం - of those who use/possess
పటుతరవివేకాంజనజుషాం - of us who are anointed with sharp discernment
సమీభూతా - become even; steady; balanced
దృష్టిః - vision; way of seeing
త్రిభువనం - the three worlds
అపి - even
బ్రహ్మ - బ్రహ్మన్ (the Absolute)
మనుతే - considers; understands

Translation (భావార్థ):
When ignorance, produced by the roaming darkness of desire, prevailed, this entire world seemed nothing but the beloved - as if it were "made of woman". But now, with sharp discernment, our vision has become steady: we see even the three worlds as the one Absolute Reality.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This verse is a direct bridge to అద్వైత: obsession is not only an emotion, it is a filter that colors reality. When అజ్ఞాన (ignorance) and స్మర (desire) dominate, everything is interpreted through one craving. When వివేక (discernment) arises, perception becomes balanced and begins to recognize the underlying whole. In the way we live now, this is the difference between "everything reminds me of one person" and "I can see life as it is". The practical అనుసంధాన is to notice when perception is being hijacked and to return to clarity through disciplined habits and self-inquiry.

If you want this verse to uplift you: Here భర్తృహరి hints that perception is colored by desire and clarified by వివేక. This is central to అద్వైత: the mind projects, and freedom begins when projection is seen. A simple practice is to watch your own stories and ask, "What am I adding to what is happening?" That question loosens obsession.

తావదేవ కృతినాం అపి స్ఫురత్యేష
నిర్మలవివేకదీపకః ।
యావదేవ న కురంగచక్షుషాం
తాడ్యతే చటులలోచనాంచలైః ॥ 2.70 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
తావత్ - so long
ఏవ - only
కృతినాం - of the accomplished; the capable
అపి - even
స్ఫురతి - shines forth; appears
ఏషః - this
నిర్మల - pure; stainless
వివేక - discernment
దీపకః - lamp
నిర్మలవివేకదీపకః - the lamp of pure discernment
యావత్ - as long as
ఏవ - only
న - not
కురంగ - deer
చక్షుషాం - of the eyes; of the deer-eyed (women)
తాడ్యతే - is struck; is beaten
చటుల - fickle; playful
లోచన - eye
అంచలైః - by the corners/ends (of the eyes); by glances
చటులలోచనాంచలైః - by playful, darting glances

Translation (భావార్థ):
Even in the accomplished, the lamp of pure discernment shines only so long as it is not struck by the playful, darting glances of doe-eyed women.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse is a warning about overconfidence: talent and intelligence do not automatically protect us from temptation. At home and at work, the mind gets struck not only by a glance, but by carefully designed stimuli - flirtation, attention, curated images, and praise. The practical అనుసంధాన is humility and preventive discipline: reduce exposure to triggers, keep your schedule and values strong, and do not assume that being "smart" makes you immune.

From a broader perspective: ఆది శంకరాచార్య's refrain చిదానందరూపః శివోఽహం శివోఽహం points to the Self as awareness-bliss. When you rest even briefly in that, attraction and aversion stop being dictators. Love remains, but it is no longer desperate. Let the verse remind you to keep one foot in inner clarity.

వచసి భవతి సంగత్యాగం ఉద్దిశ్య వార్తా
శ్రుతిముఖరముఖానాం కేవలం పండితానామ్ ।
జఘనం అరుణరత్నగ్రంథికాంచీకలాపం
కువలయనయనానాం కో విహాతుం సమర్థః ॥ 2.71 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
వచసి - in speech; in words
భవతి - becomes; happens
సంగతి - association; attachment
త్యాగః - abandonment; renunciation
సంగత్యాగః - renunciation of attachment (in verse: సంగత్యాగం)
ఉద్దిశ్య - aiming at; with reference to; about
వార్తా - talk; discussion
శ్రుతి - శ్రుతి (Vedas)
ముఖర - resounding; noisy
ముఖానాం - of mouths
శ్రుతిముఖరముఖానాం - of those whose mouths resound with శ్రుతి
కేవలం - merely; only
పండితానాం - of scholars
జఘనం - hips; buttocks
అరుణ - red
రత్న - gem
గ్రంథికా - knot
అంచీ - girdle; waist-chain
కలాపః - cluster; arrangement
అరుణరత్నగ్రంథికాంచీకలాపం - a waist-girdle arrangement knotted with red gems
కువలయ - blue lotus
నయనానాం - of eyes
కువలయనయనానాం - of lotus-eyed women
కః - who
విహాతుం - to abandon; to give up
సమర్థః - capable; able

Translation (భావార్థ):
Scholars whose mouths resound with the Vedas may speak of "renouncing attachments" - but who is actually capable of giving up the lotus-eyed woman's hips adorned with a waist-girdle knotted with red gems?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse points to the gap between talk and transformation. It is easy to recite lofty ideas about సంగ (attachment) and త్యాగ (letting go) in a safe setting; it is harder when the senses are directly invited. These days, this looks like preaching minimalism while still craving status symbols, or speaking about boundaries while still chasing attention in subtle ways. The practical అనుసంధాన is honesty: admit what pulls you, reduce triggers, and choose small consistent disciplines so that your actions match your words.

స్వపరప్రతారకోఽసౌ
నిందతి యోఽలీకపండితో యువతీః ।
యస్మాత్తపసోఽపి ఫలం
స్వర్గః స్వర్గేఽపి చాప్సరసః ॥ 2.72 ॥

ఛందః (ఆర్యా): This is in ఆర్యా (మాత్రా-చందస్) Chandas/Meter: 12+18 మాత్రాః in the first half (30 total) and 12+15 మాత్రాః in the second half (27 total); treat లఘు=1 మాత్రా and గురు=2 మాత్రాః, and use the 12-మాత్రా splits as the natural యతి (pauses).

Meaning (పదార్థ):
స్వ - self
పర - others
ప్రతారకః - deceiver; cheat
స్వపరప్రతారకః - one who deceives both self and others
అసౌ - that person (verse: స్వపరప్రతారకోఽసౌ = స్వపరప్రతారకః + అసౌ)
నిందతి - criticizes; condemns
యః - who (verse: యో = యః)
లీక - false; hypocritical
పండితః - scholar
లీకపండితః - a false scholar; hypocritical "pandit"
యువతీః - young women
యస్మాత్ - because
తపస్ - austerity
ఫలం - fruit; result
తపసః - of austerity (verse: తపసో = తపసః)
అపి - even
స్వర్గః - heaven
స్వర్గే - in heaven
చ - and
అప్సరసః - అప్సరస్ (heavenly nymphs)

Translation (భావార్థ):
That hypocritical "scholar" who condemns young women is a deceiver of both himself and others; for even austerity bears the fruit of heaven - and even in heaven there are celestial nymphs.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse is not defending indulgence; it is attacking hypocrisy and scapegoating. Desire does not vanish just because we speak against it, and blaming women is an easy way to avoid owning one's own కామ (desire). When you look around today, this appears as moralizing that hides private compulsions, or "virtue signaling" that collapses under pressure. The practical అనుసంధాన is self-responsibility: acknowledge attraction, set clear boundaries, and practice discipline without turning it into judgment of others.

A gentle practice is: Timing matters. Do not try to resolve everything at peak emotion. Pause, cool down, then speak. When you repair quickly and gently, love becomes a place of safety; when you turn small quarrels into ego battles, romance becomes exhaustion. Let the verse nudge you toward calmer repair.

మత్తేభకుంభదలనే భువి సంతి ధీరాః
కేచిత్ప్రచండమృగరాజవధేఽపి దక్షాః ।
కింతు బ్రవీమి బలినాం పురతః ప్రసహ్య
కందర్పదర్పదలనే విరలా మనుష్యాః ॥ 2.73 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
మత్తేబ - intoxicated/maddened elephant
కుంభః - temple (forehead globes of an elephant)
దలనం - splitting; breaking
మత్తేభకుంభదలనే - in splitting the temples of a maddened elephant
భువి - on earth
సంతి - are; exist
ధీరాః - brave; steady
కేచిత్ - some
ప్రచండ - fierce
మృగ - beast
రాజః - king
మృగరాజః - lion (king of beasts)
వధే - in killing
అపి - even (verse: వధేఽపి = వధే + అపి)
దక్షాః - skilled; capable
కింతు - but
బ్రవీమి - I say
బలినాం - of the strong
పురతః - in front of; in the presence of
ప్రసహ్య - boldly; forcibly
కందర్ప - Cupid; desire-personified
దర్పః - pride; arrogance
దలనం - crushing; breaking
కందర్పదర్పదలనే - in crushing the pride of Cupid
విరలాః - rare
మనుష్యాః - humans; men

Translation (భావార్థ):
On earth there are heroes who can split the temples of a maddened elephant, and some who are skilled even at slaying a fierce lion; but I say boldly, even before the strong: rare indeed are those who can crush the pride of Cupid.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
Outer courage is visible, but inner mastery is harder. The "pride of Cupid" is the mind's insistence: "I must have this now." In daily interactions, we may win debates, close deals, or endure hardship, yet lose to impulses - compulsive scrolling, addiction, flirtation that becomes secrecy, anger that ruins relationships. The practical అనుసంధాన is to train ఇంద్రియనిగ్రహ (sense-discipline) like any other skill: reduce triggers, build habits, and keep accountability so that desire does not quietly overthrow your values.

One more layer is this: Let romance be powered by values, not by secrecy. What feels thrilling in the moment can become harm if it breaks సత్య (truthfulness) or trust. A practical step is to slow down the first surge: wait, reflect, and speak honestly. Love that respects truth becomes a blessing; love that hides becomes a burden.

సన్మార్గే తావదాస్తే ప్రభవతి చ నరస్తావదేవేంద్రియాణాం
లజ్జాం తావద్విధత్తే వినయం అపి సమాలంబతే తావదేవ ।
భ్రూచాపాకృష్టముక్తాః శ్రవణపథగతా నీలపక్ష్మాణ ఏతే
యావల్లీలావతీనాం హృది న ధృతిముషో దృష్టిబాణాః పతంతి ॥ 2.74 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
సత్ - good; right
మార్గః - path
సన్మార్గే - on the good path
తావత్ - so long as
ఆస్తే - remains; stays
ప్రభవతి - prevails; is effective
చ - and
నరః - a man
ఏవ - only
ఇంద్రియాణాం - of the senses
లజ్జాం - modesty
విధత్తే - maintains; establishes
వినయం - humility
అపి - also
సమాలంబతే - holds on to; sustains
భ్రూ - eyebrow
చాపః - bow
భ్రూచాపః - eyebrow-bow
ఆకృష్ట - drawn (as an arrow)
ముక్తాః - released; shot
శ్రవణ - ear
పథః - path
గతః - gone to; reaching
శ్రవణపథగతాః - reaching the path of the ear (coming into awareness)
నీల - dark/blue
పక్ష్మాణః - eyelashes
నీలపక్ష్మాణః - dark-lashed
ఏతే - these
యావత్ - as long as
లీలావతీనాం - of playful women
హృది - in the heart
న - not
ధృతి - firmness; steadiness
ముషః - stealing
దృష్టి - glance
బాణాః - arrows
దృష్టిబాణాః - arrows of glance
పతంతి - fall; strike

Translation (భావార్థ):
A man stays on the right path, keeps mastery of the senses, and maintains modesty and humility - only so long as the dark-lashed glance-arrows of playful women, drawn from the eyebrow-bow and released, do not strike the heart and steal away steadiness.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This is not "women are the enemy"; it is "temptation tests everyone." The poet uses the "glance-arrow" as a symbol for small stimuli that suddenly hijack attention. In common experience, the arrows can be a flirtatious message, curated images, or the thrill of being wanted - and once ధృతి (steadiness) is stolen, people rationalize actions they would otherwise reject. The practical అనుసంధాన is preventive: avoid situations that predictably weaken you, keep transparency and accountability, and let major decisions be made when the mind is calm, not when it is dazzled.

A helpful way to apply this is: Bhakti poetry often borrows romance to teach surrender. In ఆది శంకరాచార్య's శివానంద లహరీ, intensity is redirected into devotion, showing a principle: love becomes peaceful when ego stops demanding and starts giving. Apply that here by practicing gratitude, not control.

ఉన్మత్తప్రేమసంరంభాద్
ఆరభంతే యద్అంగనాః ।
తత్ర ప్రత్యూహం ఆధాతుం
బ్రహ్మాపి ఖలు కాతరః ॥ 2.75 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ఉన్మత్త - mad; intoxicated
ప్రేమ - love
సంరంభః - impetuous outburst; agitation
ఉన్మత్తప్రేమసంరంభాత్ - from an impetuous surge of mad love
ఆరభంతే - begin; undertake
యదా - when
అంగనాః - women
యద్అంగనాః - when women (verse join: యదా + అంగనాః)
తత్ర - there
ప్రత్యూహం - obstacle; hindrance
ఆధాతుం - to place; to put
బ్రహ్మా - Brahma
అపి - even
ఖలు - indeed
కాతరః - helpless; powerless

Translation (భావార్థ):
When women, driven by an impetuous surge of mad love, begin something, then even Brahma is indeed helpless to place an obstacle in their way.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse praises the momentum of passion, and also warns about its force. When సంరంభ (impetuous agitation) takes over, advice and consequences feel distant. In contemporary life, this is when someone rushes into secrecy, makes promises they cannot keep, or burns bridges because the emotion feels "destined". The practical అనుసంధాన is to slow the first surge: wait a day before major decisions, speak to a trusted friend, and check whether the action will still look wise when the intensity settles.

తావన్మహత్త్వం పాండిత్యం
కులీనత్వం వివేకితా ।
యావజ్జ్వలతి నాంగేషు
హతః పంచేషుపావకః ॥ 2.76 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
తావత్ - so long
మహత్త్వం - greatness; eminence
పాండిత్యం - scholarship; learning
కులీనత్వం - noble lineage; good family
వివేకితా - discernment; good judgment
యావత్ - as long as
జ్వలతి - burns; blazes
న - not
అంగేషు - in the limbs; in the body
నాంగేషు - not in the limbs (sandhi: న + అంగేషు)
హతః - struck; smitten
పంచ - five
ఏషుః - arrow
పంచేషుః - the five-arrowed one (Cupid)
పావకః - fire
పంచేషుపావకః - the fire of the five-arrowed Cupid

Translation (భావార్థ):
Greatness, scholarship, noble lineage, and discernment last only so long as the fire of the five-arrowed Cupid, once it strikes, does not blaze in one's limbs.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse is a sober observation: under strong desire, we can temporarily lose what we take pride in - judgment, reputation, and even basic decency. In everyday life, this can look like an accomplished person risking a career for a short-lived affair, or someone intelligent making reckless financial and relational choices because they feel "consumed". The practical అనుసంధాన is to treat desire as fire: enjoy its warmth, but build guardrails - boundaries, transparency, and time to think - so it does not burn down what you value.

శాస్త్రజ్ఞోఽపి ప్రథితవినయోఽప్యాత్మబోధోఽపి బాఢం
సంసారేఽస్మిన్భవతి విరలో భాజనం సద్గతీనామ్ ।
యేనైతస్మిన్నిరయనగరద్వారం ఉద్ఘాటయంతీ
వామాక్షీణాం భవతి కుటిలా భ్రూలతా కుంచికేవ ॥ 2.77 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
శాస్త్ర - scripture
జ్ఞః - knower
శాస్త్రజ్ఞః - knower of scripture
అపి - even (verse: శాస్త్రజ్ఞోఽపి = శాస్త్రజ్ఞః + అపి)
ప్రథిత - renowned; well-known
వినయః - humility; good conduct
ప్రథితవినయః - renowned for humility
అపి - even (verse: ప్రథితవినయోఽపి = ప్రథితవినయః + అపి)
ఆత్మ - Self
బోధః - knowledge; awakening
ఆత్మబోధః - self-knowledge
అపి - even (verse: ఆత్మబోధోఽపి = ఆత్మబోధః + అపి)
బాఢం - indeed; certainly
సంసారే - in the world
అస్మిన్ - in this
సంసారేఽస్మిన్ - in this world (sandhi)
భవతి - becomes; is
విరలః - rare
భాజనం - vessel; fit receptacle
సత్ - good
గతిః - path; destiny
సద్గతీనాం - of the good path / good destinies
యేన - by which; because of which
ఏతస్మిన్ - in this
నిరయ - hell
నగర - city
ద్వారం - gate
నిరయనగరద్వారం - the gate of the city of hell
ఉద్ఘాటయంతీ - opening; unbolting
వామా - lovely; charming (also: "woman")
అక్షీ - eye
వామాక్షీణాం - of lovely-eyed women
కుటిలా - crooked
భ్రూ - eyebrow
లతా - creeper; vine
భ్రూలతా - eyebrow-vine
కుంచికా - key
ఇవ - like

Translation (భావార్థ):
Even a knower of scripture, even one famed for humility, and even one established in self-knowledge is, in this world, rarely a vessel fit for the good path - because the crooked eyebrow-vine of lovely-eyed women becomes like a key that opens the gate to the city of hell.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse is hyperbole, but its point is practical: knowledge has to be assimilated, not merely collected. In అద్వైత, this is why జ్ఞాన (knowledge) is paired with వాసనా-kShaya (wearing down latent impressions) and steady అభ్యాస (practice). In day-to-day living, you can be educated, respected, and even spiritually informed, yet still be undone by a small trigger - a flirtation, a private chat, a "harmless" secret. The practical అనుసంధాన is humility and structure: treat your weak points seriously, avoid feeding them, and make your life transparent enough that your better intentions can actually win.

కృశః కాణః ఖంజః శ్రవణరహితః పుచ్ఛవికలో
వ్రణీ పూయక్లిన్నః కృమికులశతైరావృతతనుః ।
క్షుధా క్షామో జీర్ణః పిఠరకకపాలార్పితగలః
శునీం అన్వేతి శ్వా హతం అపి చ హంత్యేవ మదనః ॥ 2.78 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
కృశః - thin; emaciated
కాణః - one-eyed
ఖంజః - lame
శ్రవణ - ear
రహితః - deprived of; without
శ్రవణరహితః - without ears
పుచ్ఛ - tail
వికలః - deficient; missing
పుచ్ఛవికలః - without a tail
వ్రణీ - wounded
పూయ - pus
క్లిన్నః - soaked; wet
పూయక్లిన్నః - soaked with pus
కృమి - worm
కులం - group; multitude
శతైః - with hundreds
కృమికులశతైః - with hundreds of worms
ఆవృత - covered
తనుః - body
ఆవృతతనుః - body covered
క్షుధా - by hunger
క్షామః - withered; emaciated
జీర్ణః - worn; old
పిఠరక - broken pot-shard; potsherd
కపాలం - shard; bowl; skull-piece
అర్పిత - placed; fastened
గలః - neck
పిఠరకకపాలార్పితగలః - whose neck is trapped/fastened in broken pot-shards
శునీం - a female dog
అన్వేతి - follows
శ్వా - a dog
హతం - struck; destroyed
అపి - even
చ - and
హంతి - strikes; destroys
ఏవ - indeed
మదనః - మదన (Cupid); desire

Translation (భావార్థ):
Thin, one-eyed, lame, earless, tailless, wounded, oozing pus, his body covered with hundreds of worms, withered by hunger and worn with age, his neck trapped in broken pot-shards - even such a dog still follows a female dog. Thus does desire indeed destroy even one who is already destroyed.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This verse is intentionally shocking to show how blind compulsion can be. మదన here stands for craving itself, not romance: the mind runs toward a stimulus even when it is clearly painful and degrading. In our daily routines, this is any addiction-loop - pornography, gambling, substances, doom-scrolling - or any toxic relationship pattern where the same harm repeats. The practical అనుసంధాన is to treat compulsion as a real problem, not as "destiny": name it, reduce access to triggers, seek support, and rebuild the mind through healthier routines.

From a broader perspective: Let romance be powered by values, not by secrecy. What feels thrilling in the moment can become harm if it breaks సత్య (truthfulness) or trust. A practical step is to slow down the first surge: wait, reflect, and speak honestly. Love that respects truth becomes a blessing; love that hides becomes a burden.

స్త్రీముద్రాం కుసుమాయుధస్య జయినీం సర్వార్థసంపత్కరీం
యే మూఢాః ప్రవిహాయ యాంతి కుధియో మిథ్యాఫలాన్వేషిణః ।
తే తేనైవ నిహత్య నిర్దయతరం నగ్నీకృతా ముండితాః
కేచిత్పంచశిఖీకృతాశ్చ జటిలాః కాపాలికాశ్చాపరే ॥ 2.79 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
స్త్రీ - woman
ముద్రా - seal; sign; stamp
స్త్రీముద్రాం - the "seal/sign" of womanhood (metaphor for love/pleasure)
కుసుమ - flower
ఆయుధః - weapon
కుసుమాయుధః - the flower-weaponed one (Cupid)
కుసుమాయుధస్య - of Cupid
జయినీం - victorious; conquering
సర్వ - all
అర్థ - aims; purposes
సంపత్ - prosperity
కరీం - making; producing (f.)
సర్వార్థసంపత్కరీం - producing prosperity for all aims
యే - those who
మూఢాః - fools
ప్రవిహాయ - abandoning; giving up
యాంతి - go
కు - bad
ధియః - of intellects
కుధియాః - of dull/bad understanding
మిథ్యా - false
ఫలం - fruit; result
అన్వేషిణః - seekers
మిథ్యాఫలాన్వేషిణః - seeking false "fruits"
తే - they
తేన - by that (Cupid/desire) itself
ఏవ - indeed
నిహత్య - striking down; destroying
నిర్దయతరం - most mercilessly
నగ్నీ - naked (f.)
కృతః - made
నగ్నీకృతాః - made naked
ముండితాః - shaved
కేచిత్ - some
పంచ - five
శిఖీ - tuft of hair
కృతః - made
పంచశిఖీకృతాః - made into (ascetics) with five tufts
చ - and
జటిలాః - matted-haired ascetics
కాపాలికాః - skull-bearing ascetics
చ - and
అపరే - others

Translation (భావార్థ):
Fools of dull understanding abandon the conquering "seal" of Cupid - womanhood, which seems to bring prosperity to all aims - and go seeking false fruits. That very force strikes them down mercilessly: some are made naked and shaved, some turned into five-tufted ascetics, others into matted-haired wanderers, and some into skull-bearing ascetics.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The target is confused renunciation: running away from desire without understanding the mind. When craving is only suppressed, it often returns as obsession, bitterness, or spiritual show. In today's relationships, this can look like someone publicly declaring detachment while privately being consumed by the same longing - or swinging between indulgence and harsh self-punishment. The practical అనుసంధాన is integration: treat desire with clarity and ethics, not denial; channel it into commitment and responsibility, or consciously step back with honest self-work.

On a subtler level: From an inner standpoint, remember that the rush is a wave in the mind. ఆది శంకరాచార్య reminds us in ఆత్మ షటకం, మనో బుద్ధ్యహంకార చిత్తాని నాహం (I am not the mind, intellect, ego, or mind-stuff). Returning to that witness does not kill love; it makes love workable, so you can act with dignity instead of being driven.

విశ్వామిత్రపరాశరప్రభృతయో వాతాంబుపర్ణాశనాస్తేఽపి
స్త్రీముఖపంకజం సులలితం దృష్ట్వైవ మోహం గతాః ।
శాల్యన్నం సఘృతం పయోదధియుతం యే భుంజతే మానవాస్తేషాం
ఇంద్రియనిగ్రహో యది భవేద్వింధ్యః ప్లవేత్సాగరే ॥ 2.80 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
విశ్వామిత్ర - విశ్వామిత్ర
పరాశర - పరాశర
ప్రభృతయః - and others like them
విశ్వామిత్రపరాశరప్రభృతయః - విశ్వామిత్ర, పరాశర, and the like
వాత - air
అంబు - water
పర్ణ - leaf
ఆశనాః - eating; subsisting on
వాతాంబుపర్ణాశనాః - subsisting on air, water, and leaves
తే - they
అపి - even (verse: తేఽపి = తే + అపి)
స్త్రీ - woman
ముఖం - face
పంకజం - lotus
స్త్రీముఖపంకజం - a woman's lotus-face
సు - very
లలితం - charming; graceful
దృష్ట్వా - having seen
ఏవ - merely; just (verse: దృష్ట్వైవ = దృష్ట్వా + ఏవ)
మోహం - delusion
గతాః - gone into; fallen into
శాలి - rice
అన్నం - food
శాల్యన్నం - rice-food
స - with
ఘృతం - ghee
సఘృతం - with ghee
పయస్ - milk
దధి - curd
యుతం - joined with; accompanied by
పయోదధియుతం - accompanied by milk and curd
యే - those who
భుంజతే - eat
మానవాః - humans
తేషాం - of them (verse: మానవాస్తేషాం = మానవాః + తేషాం)
ఇంద్రియ - senses
నిగ్రహః - restraint; control
ఇంద్రియనిగ్రహః - sense-control
యది - if
భవేత్ - would be (verse: భవేద్వింధ్యః = భవేత్ + వింధ్యః)
వింధ్యః - the Vindhya mountain
ప్లవేత్ - would float
సాగరే - in the ocean (verse: ప్లవేత్సాగరే = ప్లవేత్ + సాగరే)

Translation (భావార్థ):
Even sages like Vishvamitra and Parashara, who subsist on air, water, and leaves, fell into delusion merely by seeing a woman's graceful lotus-face. If humans who eat rice with ghee and milk/curd could truly restrain the senses, then the Vindhya mountain would float in the ocean.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse argues for humility about self-control. If even disciplined ascetics can stumble, ordinary people should neither be smug nor despairing. In real-world settings, willpower alone is often not enough; environment and habits matter. The practical అనుసంధాన is to train ఇంద్రియనిగ్రహ (sense-discipline) gradually: choose what you consume (media, company, impulses), create distance from predictable triggers, and build supportive routines rather than relying on momentary resolve.

A gentle practice is: A simple daily practice is to check intention: am I trying to connect, or am I trying to win? The verse reminds us that relationship is built by small choices - listening, truthfulness, and respect for boundaries. When those are steady, even strong emotions become beautiful instead of chaotic.

పరిమలభృతో వాతాః శాఖా నవాంకురకోటయో
మధురవిరుతోత్కంఠా వాచః ప్రియాః పికపక్షిణామ్ ।
విరలసురతస్వేదోద్గారా వధూవదనేందవః
ప్రసరతి మధౌ రాత్ర్యాం జాతో న కస్య గుణోదయః ॥ 2.81 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
పరిమల - fragrance
భృతః - bearing; carrying
పరిమలభృతః - fragrance-bearing
వాతాః - winds
శాఖా - branches
నవ - new
అంకుర - sprout
కోటయః - tips; points
నవాంకురకోటయః - tips of new sprouts
మధుర - sweet
విరుతం - sound; cooing; song
ఉత్కంఠా - longing; yearning
మధురవిరుతోత్కంఠా - longing stirred by sweet calls
వాచః - voices; calls
ప్రియాః - dear; beloved
పిక - cuckoo
పక్షిణాం - of birds
పికపక్షిణాం - of cuckoo birds
విరల - sparse; slight
సురత - lovemaking; intimacy
స్వేద - sweat
ఉద్గారః - exudation; emission
విరలసురతస్వేదోద్గారాః - (having) only slight sweat due to lovemaking
వధూ - bride; young woman
వదనం - face
ఇందుః - moon
వధూవదనేందవః - moonlike faces of women
ప్రసరతి - spreads; unfolds
మధౌ - in spring (మధు season/month)
రాత్ర్యాం - in the night
జాతః - arisen; produced
న - not
కస్య - of whom
గుణః - quality; excellence
ఉదయః - rise; awakening
గుణోదయః - awakening/rising of qualities

Translation (భావార్థ):
Fragrance-bearing winds blow; branches show tips of fresh sprouts; the cuckoo's sweet calls kindle yearning; and women's moonlike faces show only faint beads of sweat from intimacy. When spring spreads into the nights, whose good qualities do not bloom?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse captures how ఋతు (season) changes the mind: the same world feels freshly alive, and even ordinary people become more affectionate, poetic, and expressive. In lived experience too, weather and atmosphere affect mood - spring can increase sociability and romance, and small sights/sounds become emotional triggers. The practical అనుసంధాన is to enjoy this uplift consciously: let the season inspire creativity and warmth, while keeping వివేక (discernment) so excitement does not turn into impulsiveness.

One more layer is this: These seasonal images show how mood is shaped by climate. When you feel more restless or nostalgic, treat it as a natural rhythm, not as a command. Use it to deepen appreciation: be kinder, write more, reach out more. But do not let mood drive reckless choices; let it become beauty with discipline.

మధురయం మధురైరపి కోకిలా
కలరవైర్మలయస్య చ వాయుభిః ।
విరహిణః ప్రహిణస్తి శరీరిణో
విపది హంత సుధాపి విషాయతే ॥ 2.82 ॥

ఛందః (ద్రుతవిలంబిత): This is in ద్రుతవిలంబిత (సమ-వృత్త) Chandas/Meter: 4 పాదాః, 12 అక్షరాః per పాద; లఘు/గురు pattern (per పాద) is `LLLGLLGLLGLG`.

Meaning (పదార్థ):
మధురయం - sweetening; making sweet
మధురైః - by sweet things; with sweetness
అపి - even
కోకిలా - the cuckoo (here: cuckoo birds)
కల - soft; melodious
రవైః - with sounds
కలరవైః - with melodious calls
మలయస్య - of the Malaya mountain (source of fragrant breeze)
చ - and
వాయుభిః - by winds
విరహిణః - of the separated; of love-lorn people
ప్రహిణస్తి - strikes; torments
శరీరిణః - embodied beings
విపది - in misfortune; in adversity
హంత - alas
సుధా - nectar
అపి - even
విషం - poison
ఆయతే - becomes
విషాయతే - becomes poison

Translation (భావార్థ):
With its melodious calls - and with the Malaya winds - the cuckoo makes even sweet things sweeter; but it torments the love-lorn. Alas, in adversity, even nectar turns into poison.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse is about context: the same stimulus can feel like medicine or like torture depending on the heart's condition. A song, a fragrance, or a festival can be joy for one person and pain for another who is in విరహ (separation). In ordinary situations, this is why after a breakup even "happy places" can feel heavy. The practical అనుసంధాన is compassion and patience: reduce triggers while healing, do not force yourself to "be fine", and gradually create new associations through supportive routines and friendships.

A helpful way to apply this is: A season changes the outer world and the inner weather. Pay attention to that inner weather. If you are lonely, a rainy night can push you into old loops; if you are content, it can become poetry. Build small practices that keep you grounded - sleep, movement, and a little silence.

ఆవాసః కిలకించితస్య దయితాపార్శ్వే విలాసాలసాః
కర్ణే కోకిలకామినీకలరవః స్మేరో లతామండపః ।
గోష్ఠీ సత్కవిభిః సమం కతిపయైర్ముగ్ధాః సుధాంశోః కరాః
కేషాంచిత్సుఖయంతి చాత్ర హృదయం చైత్రే విచిత్రాః క్షపాః ॥ 2.83 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ఆవాసః - dwelling; staying
కిలకించితస్య - of playful soft sounds/gestures (కిలకించిత)
దయితా - beloved
పార్శ్వే - by the side
దయితాపార్శ్వే - by the beloved's side
విలాస - play; amorous sport
అలసాః - languid; relaxed
విలాసాలసాః - languid with play
కర్ణే - in the ear
కోకిలా - cuckoo
కామినీ - female; beloved
కలరవః - melodious call
కోకిలకామినీకలరవః - the melodious call of the female cuckoo
స్మేరః - smiling
లతా - vine
మండపః - pavilion
లతామండపః - vine-pavilion
గోష్ఠీ - gathering; conversation circle
సత్ - good
కవిభిః - with poets
సత్కవిభిః - with good poets
సమం - together
కతిపయైః - with a few
ముగ్ధాః - gentle; soft; charming
సుధా - nectar
అంశుః - ray
సుధాంశుః - the nectar-rayed one (the moon)
సుధాంశోః - of the moon
కరాః - rays
కేషాంచిత్ - for some
సుఖయంతి - make happy; gladden
చ - and
అత్ర - here
హ్ఱ్దయం - heart
చైత్రే - in the month of Chaitra (spring)
విచిత్రాః - varied; charming
క్షపాః - nights

Translation (భావార్థ):
For some, these charming Chaitra nights gladden the heart: staying by the beloved's side amid playful murmurs, languid in love's play; the female cuckoo's call in the ear; a smiling vine-pavilion; a gathering with good poets and a few friends; and the soft rays of the nectar-moon.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse shows that happiness is often a crafted atmosphere: companionship, beauty, art, and unhurried time. In practical terms, the same elements appear as a quiet evening with someone you love, music that feels intimate, or a circle of friends where conversation is nourishing. The practical అనుసంధాన is to create such spaces deliberately and ethically: choose relationships that deepen trust, avoid distractions that fragment attention, and let pleasure be connected to presence rather than to excess.

To carry this wisely: Such verses also teach that pleasure is relational: fragrance, sound, and moonlight become delightful when the heart is open. If the heart is closed, the same stimuli irritate. So care for the heart: reduce resentment, practice forgiveness, and keep gratitude alive.

పాంథ స్త్రీవిరహానలాహుతికలాం ఆతన్వతీ మంజరీమాకందేషు
పికాంగనాభిరధునా సోత్కంఠం ఆలోక్యతే ।
అప్యేతే నవపాటలాపరిమలప్రాగ్భారపాటచ్చరా
వాంతిక్లాంతివితానతానవకృతః శ్రీఖండశైలానిలాః ॥ 2.84 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
పాంథ - traveler
స్త్రీ - wife; beloved woman
విరహః - separation
అనలః - fire
స్త్రీవిరహానలః - the fire of separation from the beloved
ఆహుతి - oblation
కలా - art; skill
ఆహుతికలాం - the art of offering oblations
స్త్రీవిరహానలాహుతికలాం - the art of offering oblations into the fire of separation
ఆతన్వతీ - spreading; performing; extending
మంజరీ - blossom cluster
మాకందః - mango tree
మాకందేషు - in mango trees
పిక - cuckoo
అంగనా - woman
పికాంగనాః - female cuckoos
పికాంగనాభిః - by female cuckoos
అధునా - now
సోత్కంఠం - with longing
ఆలోక్యతే - is looked at; is seen
అపి - even
ఏతే - these
నవ - new
పాటలా - the పాటలా flower
పరిమలః - fragrance
ప్రాగ్భారః - heavy load; excess
పాటచ్చరాః - roaming about; moving around
నవపాటలాపరిమల్ప్రాగ్భారపాటచ్చరాః - roaming about bearing the heavy load of fresh పాటలా fragrance
వాంతి - blow
క్లాంతిః - fatigue; weariness
వితానః - canopy; spread
తానః - stretching; extension
వకృతః - cutting off; removing
క్లాంతివితానతానవకృతః - removing the stretched canopy of fatigue (relieving weariness)
శ్రీఖండ - sandalwood
సైలః - mountain
అనిలః - wind
శ్రీఖండశైలానిలాః - the winds from the sandalwood hill

Translation (భావార్థ):
O traveler, now the mango blossom-clusters are seen with longing by the female cuckoos, as if they were an offering into the fire of separation. And these sandalwood-mountain winds, roaming about laden with the heavy fragrance of fresh spring blossoms, blow and relieve the spread of weariness.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This verse mixes beauty with pain: spring comforts the body and simultaneously sharpens longing. In the way we live now, travel or distance can do the same - a beautiful place can still feel empty when someone important is missing. The practical అనుసంధాన is to recognize the mind's double movement: allow the ache of విరహ (separation) without dramatizing it, and also let nature and rest genuinely restore you, so you return to your responsibilities and relationships with steadier energy.

A mature reading suggests: Let nature's beauty remind you of balance. Seasons come and go; moods also come and go. When you learn to enjoy without clinging, you gain both joy and freedom. That is the quiet wisdom hidden inside these descriptions.

ప్రథితః ప్రణయవతీనాం
తావత్పదం ఆతనోతు హృది మానః ।
భవతి న యావచ్చందనతరు
సురభిర్మలయపవమానః ॥ 2.85 ॥

ఛందః (మాత్రా-చందస్): This is in a మాత్రా-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed అక్షర-count వృత్త): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 13 + 19 + 15 + 13 మాత్రాః (total 60); treat లఘు=1 మాత్రా and గురు=2 మాత్రాః, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse దండ with internal యతి).

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ప్రథితః - well-known; established
ప్రణయః - love; affection
ప్రణయవతీనాం - of loving women
తావత్ - so long
పదం - place; foothold
ఆతనోతు - may take; may assume
హృది - in the heart
మానః - pride; sulkiness (lover's offended pride)
భవతి - becomes; is
న - not
యావత్ - until
చందన - sandalwood
తరుః - tree
చందనతరు - sandalwood tree
సురభిః - fragrant
మలయ - Malaya mountain
పవమానః - wind
మలయపవమానః - the Malaya breeze

Translation (భావార్థ):
The pride/sulking of loving women holds its place in the heart only until the Malaya breeze becomes fragrant with sandalwood trees.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
In శృంగార, మాన (the lover's proud "sulk") is not hatred; it is part of intimacy's rhythm. The verse says even that pride melts when the atmosphere turns soft and fragrant. At home and at work, timing matters similarly: a difficult conversation goes better when both people are rested and the environment is calm. The practical అనుసంధాన is to de-escalate first - lower stress, speak gently, and let warmth return - then resolve the issue without turning it into a power struggle.

సహకారకుసుమకేసరనికర
భరామోదమూర్చ్ఛితదిగ్అంతే ।
మధురమధురవిధురమధుపే
మధౌ భవేత్కస్య నోత్కంఠా ॥ 2.86 ॥

ఛందః (మాత్రా-చందస్): This is in a మాత్రా-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed అక్షర-count వృత్త): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 16 + 15 + 17 + 16 మాత్రాః (total 64); treat లఘు=1 మాత్రా and గురు=2 మాత్రాః, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse దండ with internal యతి).

Meaning (పదార్థ):
సహకార - mango tree
కుసుమం - flower
కేసరః - pollen; stamen
నికరః - heap; cluster
సహకారకుసుమకేసరనికరః - clusters of mango blossoms and pollen
భరా - load; weight
ఆమోదః - fragrance
భరామోదః - heavy fragrance
మూర్చ్ఛిత - swooned; intoxicated
దిగ్ - direction
అంతః - end; quarter
దిగంతే - in the directions/quarters
దిగ్అంతే - in the directions (verse join)
భరామోదమూర్చ్ఛితదిగంతే - when the quarters are intoxicated by heavy fragrance
మధురం - sweetly
మధుర - sweet
విధురం - plaintively; piteously
మధుపః - bee
మధుపే - O bee
మధురమధురవిధురమధుపే - O bee, sweetly-sweetly and plaintively (your humming)
మధౌ - in spring (మధు season)
భవేత్ - would be
కస్య - of whom
న - not
ఉత్కంఠా - longing; yearning

Translation (భావార్థ):
When the quarters are intoxicated by the heavy fragrance of clusters of mango blossoms and pollen, and when the bee hums sweetly and plaintively, who would not feel yearning in spring?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse describes how the senses are "tuned" by the environment: spring fragrances and sounds naturally intensify ఉత్కంఠా (yearning). These days, the same is true of certain places, music, or memories - they can amplify longing instantly. The practical అనుసంధాన is to use this wisely: choose environments that support wholesome love and creativity, and be cautious of settings that predictably push you toward impulsive choices.

From a broader perspective: A season changes the outer world and the inner weather. Pay attention to that inner weather. If you are lonely, a rainy night can push you into old loops; if you are content, it can become poetry. Build small practices that keep you grounded - sleep, movement, and a little silence.

అచ్ఛాచ్ఛచందనరసార్ద్రతరా మృగాక్ష్యో
ధారాగృహాణి కుసుమాని చ కౌముదీ చ ।
మందో మరుత్సుమనసః శుచి హర్మ్యపృష్ఠం
గ్రీష్మే మదం చ మదనం చ వివర్ధయంతి ॥ 2.87 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
అచ్ఛాచ్ఛ - very clear; very clean
చందన - sandalwood
రసః - juice; paste
ఆర్ద్ర - moist
తరా - more (comparative)
చందన - sandalwood
రసార్ద్రతరాః - more moist with sandalwood paste
మృగాక్ష్యః - doe-eyed women
ధారా - stream; jet
గృహం - house; pavilion
ధారాగృహాణి - water-pavilions; shower-houses
కుసుమాని - flowers
చ - and
కౌముదీ - moonlight; moonlit night
చ - and
మందః - gentle
మరుత్ - wind
సుమనసః - flowers
మరుత్సుమనసః - winds and flowers
శుచి - clean
హర్మ్య - palace; mansion
పృష్ఠం - terrace; roof
హర్మ్యపృష్ఠం - the mansion-terrace
గ్రీష్మే - in summer
మదం - intoxication
చ - and
మదనం - desire; Cupid
చ - and
వివర్ధయంతి - increase; intensify

Translation (భావార్థ):
In summer, doe-eyed women made even more moist with clear sandalwood paste, water-pavilions, flowers and moonlight, gentle winds, and clean mansion-terraces - all intensify intoxication and desire.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
Bhartruhari notes a simple truth: comfort and sensuous atmosphere can intensify craving. When you look around today, the same happens when we are relaxed, surrounded by beauty, and feeling physically good - desire feels stronger and self-control can weaken. The practical అనుసంధాన is balance: enjoy pleasures without letting them dictate decisions; keep your commitments and boundaries steady, especially in settings where the senses are strongly stimulated.

On a subtler level: Such verses also teach that pleasure is relational: fragrance, sound, and moonlight become delightful when the heart is open. If the heart is closed, the same stimuli irritate. So care for the heart: reduce resentment, practice forgiveness, and keep gratitude alive.

స్రజో హృద్యామోదా వ్యజనపవనశ్చంద్రకిరణాః
పరాగః కాసారో మలయజరజః శీధు విశదమ్ ।
శుచిః సౌధోత్సంగః ప్రతను వసనం పంకజదృశో
నిదాఘఋతావేతద్విలసతి లభంతే సుకృతినః ॥ 2.88 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
స్రజాః - garlands
హ్ఱ్ది - in the heart
ఆమోదః - fragrance
హ్ఱ్ద్యామోదాః - pleasing fragrance
వ్యజనం - fan
పవనః - breeze
వ్యజనపవనః - fan-breeze
చంద్ర - moon
కిరణాః - rays
చంద్రకిరణాః - moon-rays
పరాగః - pollen
కాసారః - lake; lotus-pond
మలయ - Malaya mountain
జ - born from
రజః - dust; powder
మలయజరజః - sandalwood-dust (from Malaya)
సీధు - wine; fermented drink
విశదం - clear; pure
శుచిః - clean; pure
సౌధః - mansion
ఉత్సంగః - lap; ledge; terrace-seat
సౌధోత్సంగః - the clean ledge/terrace of a mansion
ప్రతను - thin; delicate
వసనం - garment
పంకజ - lotus
దృశ్ - eye; sight
పంకజదృశః - of the lotus-eyed woman
నిదాఘ - summer
ఋతౌ - in the season
ఏతద్ - this
విలసతి - sport; delight
లభంతే - obtain; enjoy
సుకృతినః - the meritorious; the fortunate

Translation (భావార్థ):
In the summer season, the fortunate enjoy these delights: garlands with pleasing fragrance, fan-breezes, moon-rays, pollen, lotus-ponds, sandalwood dust from Malaya, clear wine, the clean ledge of a mansion, and the thin garment of a lotus-eyed beloved.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse is a catalogue of "cooling" pleasures - things that soothe the body and, by that very soothing, make sensual enjoyment easier. In daily interactions, comfort and luxury can either become healthy rest or become a slippery slope into excess. The practical అనుసంధాన is to enjoy comfort with awareness: let it restore you, not numb you; and remember that the mind can become dependent on external arrangements unless it also learns inner contentment.

A gentle practice is: Let nature's beauty remind you of balance. Seasons come and go; moods also come and go. When you learn to enjoy without clinging, you gain both joy and freedom. That is the quiet wisdom hidden inside these descriptions.

సుధాశుభ్రం ధామ స్ఫురద్అమలరశ్మిః శశధరః
ప్రియావక్త్రాంభోజం మలయజరజశ్చాతిసురభిః ।
స్రజో హృద్యామోదాస్తదిదం అఖిలం రాగిణి జనే
కరోత్యంతః క్షోభం న తు విషయసంసర్గవిముఖే ॥ 2.89 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
సుధా - nectar
శుభ్రం - white; bright
ధామ - radiance; light
సుధాశుభ్రం ధామ - nectar-white radiance
స్ఫురద్ - shining
అమల - spotless; pure
రశ్మిః - ray
స్ఫురద్అమలరశ్మిః - shining with pure rays (verse join)
శశధరః - the moon
ప్రియా - beloved
వక్త్రం - face
అంబుజం - lotus
ప్రియావక్త్రాంభోజం - the beloved's lotus-face
మలయజ - sandalwood
రజః - dust
అతి - very
సురభిః - fragrant
మలయజరజః - sandalwood dust
చాతిసురభిః - very fragrant
స్రజాః - garlands
హ్ఱ్ద్యామోదాః - pleasing fragrance
తద్ - that
ఇదం - this
అఖిలం - all; entire
రాగిణి - in one full of passion
జనే - in a person
కరోతి - makes
అంతః - within
క్షోభం - agitation; disturbance
న - not
తు - but
విషయ - sense-objects
సంసర్గః - contact; association
విముఖే - in one turned away; detached

Translation (భావార్థ):
The moon's nectar-bright radiance, the beloved's lotus-face, the very fragrant sandalwood dust, and garlands with pleasing scent - all this creates intense inner agitation in a passionate person, but not in one who has turned away from sense-objects.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse makes a subtle psychological point: the world does not "do" the same thing to everyone. The same moonlight that stirs longing in one mind can be simply beautiful and quiet for another mind that is విముఖ (turned away) from craving. In common experience, this is why the best change is internal: when attachment loosens, triggers lose power. From an అద్వైత (non-duality) angle, reducing రాగ (clinging) and ద్వేష (aversion) makes perception clearer and less agitated.

One more layer is this: Here భర్తృహరి hints that perception is colored by desire and clarified by వివేక. This is central to అద్వైత: the mind projects, and freedom begins when projection is seen. A simple practice is to watch your own stories and ask, "What am I adding to what is happening?" That question loosens obsession.

తరుణీవేషోద్దీపితకామా
వికసజ్జాతీపుష్పసుగంధిః ।
ఉన్నతపీనపయోధరభారా
ప్రావృట్తనుతే కస్య న హర్షమ్ ॥ 2.90 ॥

ఛందః (మాత్రా-చందస్): This is in a మాత్రా-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed అక్షర-count వృత్త): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 16 + 16 + 16 + 16 మాత్రాః (total 64); treat లఘు=1 మాత్రా and గురు=2 మాత్రాః, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse దండ with internal యతి).

Meaning (పదార్థ):
తరుణీ - young woman
వేషః - attire; dress
ఉద్దీపిత - kindled; intensified
కామః - desire
తరుణీవేషోద్దీపితకామా - desire kindled by young women's attire
వికసత్ - blooming
జాతీ - jasmine
పుష్పం - flower
సుగంధిః - fragrant
వికసజ్జాతీపుష్పసుగంధిః - fragrant with blooming jasmine flowers
ఉన్నత - high
పీన - full
పయోధరః - breast
భారః - weight; burden
ఉన్నతపీనపయోధరభారా - with the burden of high, full breasts
ప్రావృట్ - the rainy season
తనుతే - produces; spreads
కస్య - for whom
న - not
హర్షం - joy

Translation (భావార్థ):
The rainy season - with desire kindled by young women's attire, fragrant with blooming jasmine, and heavy with the fullness of their breasts - produces joy for whom does it not?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
Bhartruhari links ప్రావృట్ (monsoon) with romance: clouds, fragrance, and closeness make desire feel natural and widespread. In contemporary life, seasons and settings still shape behavior - rainy evenings can make people nostalgic, intimate, and more impulsive. The practical అనుసంధాన is to let the mood deepen connection, not lower ethics: enjoy romance with clarity, consent, and responsibility, so that seasonal emotion becomes sweetness rather than regret.

వియద్ఉపచితమేఘం భూమయః కందలిన్యో
నవకుటజకదంబామోదినో గంధవాహాః ।
శిఖికులకలకేకారావరమ్యా వనాంతాః
సుఖినం అసుఖినం వా సర్వం ఉత్కంఠయంతి ॥ 2.91 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
వియత్ - sky
ఉపచిత - filled; accumulated
మేఘం - cloud(s)
వియద్ఉపచితమేఘం - the sky filled with clouds (verse join)
భూమయః - the earth; grounds
కందల - fresh shoot; sprout
కందలిన్యాః - full of shoots/sprouts
నవ - new
కుటజ - the కుటజ tree
కదంబ - the కదంబ tree
ఆమోదినః - fragrant; perfuming
నవకుటజకదంబామోదినాః - fragrant with new కుటజ and కదంబ
గంధవాహాః - winds (bearers of fragrance)
శిఖి - peacock
కులం - group
శిఖికులం - flocks of peacocks
కలకలః - chattering sound; noisy calls
ఏకారావః - a single cry/call
రమ్యాః - charming
శిఖికులకలకేకారావరమ్యాః - charming with peacocks' calls and chatter
వనాంతాః - forest-groves
సుఖినం - the happy one
అసుఖినం - the unhappy one
వా - or
సర్వం - everyone
ఉత్కంఠయంతి - stir longing; make eager

Translation (భావార్థ):
Cloud-filled skies, earth thick with new shoots, winds perfumed by fresh blossoms, and forests made lovely by peacocks' calls - all these stir yearning in everyone, happy or unhappy.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This verse says some moods are "in the air". In monsoon, nature becomes dramatic and sensual, and even people who feel fine can suddenly feel ఉత్కంఠా (yearning). In everyday life, weather and music can work similarly: a rainy evening can make you nostalgic, romantic, or restless without any clear reason. The practical అనుసంధాన is to notice the mood as a wave, not as a command - enjoy it, express it creatively, but do not let it push you into choices that you will regret.

ఉపరి ఘనం ఘనపటలం
తిర్యగ్గిరయోఽపి నర్తితమయూరాః ।
క్షితిరపి కందలధవలా
దృష్టిం పథికః క్వ పాతయతి ॥ 2.92 ॥

ఛందః (మాత్రా-చందస్): This is in a మాత్రా-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed అక్షర-count వృత్త): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 12 + 18 + 13 + 16 మాత్రాః (total 59); treat లఘు=1 మాత్రా and గురు=2 మాత్రాః, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse దండ with internal యతి).

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ఉపరి - above
ఘనం - dense; massed
ఘన - cloud
పటలం - layer; mass
ఘనపటలం - mass of clouds
తిర్యక్ - sideways
గిరయః - mountains
అపి - even; also (verse: గిరయోఽపి = గిరయః + అపి)
నర్తిత - dancing
మయూరాః - peacocks
క్షితిః - the earth
అపి - also
కందల - sprouts; shoots
ధవలా - white; pale
కందలధవలా - pale with fresh shoots
దృష్టిం - gaze
పథికః - traveler
క్వ - where
పాతయతి - casts; drops

Translation (భావార్థ):
Above is a dense mass of clouds; sideways, even the mountains have dancing peacocks; the earth too is pale with fresh shoots - where does the traveler cast his gaze?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse is about being surrounded by beauty: attention wants to jump everywhere. In day-to-day living, we can feel the same in a new city, a festival, or even a "feed" full of stimuli - the eyes do not know where to rest. The practical అనుసంధాన is to slow down and savor one thing at a time. Pleasure becomes deeper when attention is steady, not scattered.

ఇతో విద్యుద్వల్లీవిలసితం ఇతః కేతకితరోః
స్ఫురన్గంధః ప్రోద్యజ్జలదనినదస్ఫూర్జితం ఇతః ।
ఇతః కేకిక్రీడాకలకలరవః పక్ష్మలదృశాం
కథం యాస్యంత్యేతే విరహదివసాః సంభృతరసాః ॥ 2.93 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ఇతః - here; from this side
విద్యుత్ - lightning
వల్లీ - creeper; vine
విలసితం - flashing play
విద్యుద్వల్లీవిలసితం - the play of lightning-vines
ఇతః - here
కేతకీ - the కేతకీ plant
తరుః - tree
కేతకితరోః - of the కేతకీ tree
స్ఫురత్ - throbbing; spreading
గంధః - fragrance
స్ఫురన్గంధః - spreading fragrance
ప్రోద్యత్ - rising; swelling
జలదః - cloud
నినదః - sound; roar
స్ఫూర్జితం - thunderous roar
జలదనినదస్ఫూర్జితం - the thunder-roar of clouds
ఇతః - here
కేకి - peacock
క్రీడా - play
కలకలః - noisy chatter
రవః - sound
కేకిక్రీడాకలకలరవః - the noisy calls of peacocks at play
పక్ష్మల - long-lashed
దృశాం - of the eyes; of the doe-eyed women
పక్ష్మలదృశాం - of the long-lashed (women)
కథం - how
యాస్యంతి - will pass; will go
ఏతే - these
విరహ - separation
దినసాః - days
విరహదినసాః - days of separation
సంభృత - full; heaped up
రసః - feeling; emotion
సంభృతరసాః - full of intense feeling

Translation (భావార్థ):
Here the lightning-vine flashes; here fragrant blossoms spread their scent; here the swelling thunder of clouds; here the noisy calls of peacocks at play - how will these days of separation pass for the long-lashed ones, full of longing?

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse explains why certain seasons make loneliness feel sharper: they are full of sensory reminders. In our daily routines, this is why a rainy playlist, a smell, or a place can suddenly reopen longing - the mind links stimuli with memory. The practical అనుసంధాన is to work with triggers: if you are healing, reduce exposure; if you are in a long-distance bond, use the same triggers intentionally (a shared song, a planned call) to convert longing into connection rather than rumination.

If you want this verse to uplift you: These seasonal images show how mood is shaped by climate. When you feel more restless or nostalgic, treat it as a natural rhythm, not as a command. Use it to deepen appreciation: be kinder, write more, reach out more. But do not let mood drive reckless choices; let it become beauty with discipline.

అసూచిసంచారే తమసి నభసి ప్రౌఢజలదధ్వనిప్రయే
తస్మిన్ పతతి దృశదాం నీరనిచయే ।
ఇదం సౌదామిన్యాః కనకకమనీయం విలసితం
ముదం చ గ్లానిం చ ప్రథయతి పథిష్వేవ సుదృశామ్ ॥ 2.94 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
అసూచి - needle(-like)
సంచారః - movement; roaming
అసూచిసంచారే - where needle-like streaks move (rain-streaks)
తమసి - in darkness
నభసి - in the sky
ప్రౌఢ - dense; intense
జలదః - cloud
ధ్వనిః - sound; thunder
ప్రాయః - mostly; filled with
ధ్వనిప్రయే - filled with thunder
తస్మిన్ - in that
పతతి - falls
దృశద్ - stone; hail
దృశదాం - of hailstones
నీర - water
నిచయః - heap; collection
నీరనిచయే - in the collection/pool of water
ఇదం - this
సౌదామినీ - lightning
సౌదామిన్యాః - of lightning
కనక - gold
కమనీయం - charming; beautiful
విలసితం - flash; play; shining
ముదం - joy
చ - and
గ్లానిం - fatigue; weariness
చ - and
ప్రథయతి - spreads; produces
పథిషు - on the roads
ఏవ - indeed
సుదృశాం - of beautiful-eyed women

Translation (భావార్థ):
In the dark sky where needle-like streaks move, filled with the thunder of dense clouds, and where hail and water fall into pools, this golden-beautiful flash of lightning produces both joy and weariness in the beautiful-eyed women on the road.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse captures mixed emotion: a storm can be thrilling and also tiring. In today's relationships, intense experiences often produce both - excitement and exhaustion, joy and a kind of గ్లాని (weariness). The practical అనుసంధాన is to respect that blend: after high stimulation, rest and ground yourself, so that beauty does not turn into burnout.

ఆసారేణ న హర్మ్యతః ప్రియతమైర్యాతుం బహిః శక్యతే
శీతోత్కంపనిమిత్తం ఆయతదృశా గాఢం సమాలింగ్యతే ।
జాతాః శీకరశీతలాశ్చ మరుతోరత్యంతఖేదచ్ఛిదో
ధన్యానాం బత దుర్దినం సుదినతాం యాతి ప్రియాసంగమే ॥ 2.95 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ఆసారః - rain; shower
ఆసారేణ - because of rain
న - not
హర్మ్యతః - from the mansion
ప్రియతమైః - by/with beloved ones
యాతుం - to go
బహిః - outside
శక్యతే - is possible
శీత - cold
ఉత్కంపః - shivering
నిమిత్తం - cause
శీతోత్కంపనిమిత్తం - because of shivering from cold
ఆయత - long
దృశా - by the long-eyed woman
గాఢం - tightly
సమాలింగ్యతే - is embraced
జాతాః - become
శీకరః - spray; mist
శీతలాః - cool
చ - and
మరుతః - winds
అత్యంత - extremely
ఖేదః - fatigue; distress
చ్ఛిదః - cutting; removing
అత్యంతఖేదచ్ఛిదః - removing great fatigue
ధన్యానాం - of the fortunate
బత - indeed; alas
దుర్దినం - a gloomy/bad day
సుదినతాం - becomes a good day
యాతి - goes; becomes
ప్రియా - beloved
సంగమః - union; meeting
ప్రియాసంగమే - in union with the beloved

Translation (భావార్థ):
Because of rain, the beloveds cannot go outside from the mansion. Shivering from cold, the long-eyed beloved is held in a tight embrace; the winds, cooled by spray, cut away fatigue. For the fortunate, a gloomy rainy day becomes a good day in the union of lovers.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This verse is about turning constraint into closeness. When the world forces a pause, lovers can use it to be present with one another. In real-world settings, a storm that cancels plans can become an evening of warmth, conversation, and repair - if we choose it. The practical అనుసంధాన is to create "good days" not only by external events, but by how we meet the moment: attention, kindness, and shared time.

అర్ధం సుప్త్వా నిశాయాః సరభససురతాయాససన్నశ్లథాంగప్రోద్భూతాసహ్య
తృష్ణో మధుమదనిరతో హర్మ్యపృష్ఠే వివిక్తే ।
సంభోగక్లాంతకాంతాశిథిలభుజలతావర్జితం కర్కరీతో
జ్యోత్స్నాభిన్నాచ్ఛధారం పిబతి న సలిలం శారదం మందపుణ్యః ॥ 2.96 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
అర్ధం - half
సుప్త్వా - having slept
నిశాయాః - of the night
సరభస - hurried; impetuous
సురతం - lovemaking; intimacy
ఆయాసః - exertion; fatigue
ఆయాససన్నః - exhausted by exertion
శ్లథ - slack
అంగః - limbs
సన్నశ్లథాంగః - limbs grown slack from exhaustion
ప్రోద్భూత - arisen
అసహ్య - unbearable
తృష్ణా - thirst
ప్రోద్భూతాసహ్య తృష్ణా - unbearable thirst that has arisen
మధు - wine; intoxicant
మదనః - Cupid; desire
మధు మదన - wine and desire
మధుమదనిరతః - given to wine and desire
హర్మ్య - mansion
పృష్ఠం - terrace; roof
హర్మ్యపృష్ఠే - on the mansion-terrace
వివిక్తే - in solitude
సంభోగః - union; enjoyment
క్లాంతా - tired
కాంతా - beloved woman
శిథిల - slack
భుజః - arm
లతా - creeper; vine
బుజలతా - arm-vines
ఆవర్జితం - drawn around; encircling
సంభోగక్లాంతకాంతాశిథిలభుజలతావర్జితం - embraced by the beloved's slack arms after union
కర్కరీ - a water-vessel/pitcher
ఇతః - from
కర్కరీతో - from the కర్కరీ
జ్యోత్స్నా - moonlight
భిన్న - split; broken by
అచ్ఛ - clear
ధారా - stream
జ్యోత్స్నాభిన్నాచ్ఛధారం - a clear stream broken by moonlight
పిబతి - drinks
న - not
సలిలం - water
శారదం - autumnal
మంద - little
పుణ్యః - merit; good fortune
మందపుణ్యః - of little fortune; unfortunate

Translation (భావార్థ):
After sleeping half the night, limbs slack from the fatigue of hurried lovemaking, unbearable thirst arises. Given to wine and desire, alone on the mansion-terrace, the "unfortunate" man does not drink the autumn water - a clear stream split by moonlight, poured from a water-pitcher - because he is held in an embrace by the beloved's tired, slack arms.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This verse is playful irony: he has water in front of him and still cannot drink, because love has "captured" him. In lived experience, we also miss simple, nourishing things because we are caught in an absorbing experience - sometimes beautiful, sometimes addictive. The practical అనుసంధాన is to keep balance: let intimacy be deep, but also take care of basic needs (sleep, health, clarity) so pleasure does not become depletion.

హేమంతే దధిదుగ్ధసర్పిరశనా మాంజిష్ఠవాసోభృతః
కాశ్మీరద్రవసాంద్రదిగ్ధవపుషశ్ఛిన్నా విచిత్రై రతైః ।
వృత్తోరుస్తనకామినోజనకృతాశ్లేషా గృహాభ్యంతరే
తాంబూలీదలపూగపూరితముఖా ధన్యాః సుఖం శేరతే ॥ 2.97 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
హేమంతే - in winter
దధి - curd
దుగ్ధ - milk
సర్పిః - ghee
అశనా - eating
దధిదుగ్ధసర్పిరశనా - eating curd, milk, and ghee
మాంజిష్ఠ - red dye (మాంజిష్ఠ)
వాసః - garments
భృతః - wearing
మాంజిష్ఠవాసోభృతః - wearing మాంజిష్ఠ-colored garments
కాశ్మీర - saffron/Kashmir
ద్రవః - liquid; paste
సాంద్ర - thick
దిగ్ధ - smeared
వపుషః - bodies
కాశ్మీరద్రవసాంద్రదిగ్ధవపుషః - bodies smeared with thick saffron paste
చిన్నాః - ended; spent
విచిత్రైః - with various
రతైః - acts of love; pleasures
వృత్త - round
ఊరుః - thigh
స్తనః - breast
కామినీ - woman
జనః - person
కృతః - made; done
ఆశ్లేషః - embrace
వృత్తోరుస్తనకామినోజనకృతాశ్లేషాః - those who have embraced women with round thighs and breasts
గృహ - house
అభ్యంతరః - inside
గృహాభ్యంతరే - inside the house
తాంబూలీ - betel leaf
దలం - leaf
పూగః - areca nut
పూరిత - filled
ముఖా - mouths
తాంబూలీదలపూగపూరితముఖాః - mouths filled with betel leaves and areca
ధన్యాః - the fortunate
సుఖం - happily
శేరతే - lie down; sleep

Translation (భావార్థ):
In winter, the fortunate - eating curd, milk, and ghee; wearing deep red garments; bodies smeared with thick saffron paste; their pleasures spent in varied lovemaking and embraces of women with round thighs and breasts; mouths filled with betel leaf and areca - sleep happily inside the house.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse describes warmth, luxury, and intimacy as a seasonal rhythm: when it is cold outside, people seek heat and closeness within. In ordinary situations, winter often increases "nesting" - home, comfort food, and private connection. The practical అనుసంధాన is moderation: enjoy warmth and intimacy, but keep health in mind and avoid turning comfort into excess that leaves the body and mind dull.

ప్రదుయత్ప్రౌఢప్రియంగుద్యుతిభృతి వికసత్కుందమాద్యద్ద్విరేఫే
కాలే ప్రాలేయవాతప్రచలవిలసితోదారమందారధామ్ని ।
యేషాం నో కంఠలగ్నా క్షణం అపి తుహినక్షోదదక్షా మృగాక్షీ
తేసాం ఆయామయామా యమసదనసమా యామినీ యాతి యూనామ్ ॥ 2.98 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
ప్రదుయత్ - shining
ప్రౌఢ - full; intense
ప్రియంగు - the ప్రియంగు plant/flower
ద్యుతిః - radiance
భృతిః - bearing
ప్రియంగుద్యుతిభృతి - bearing the radiance of ప్రియంగు
వికసత్ - blooming
కుంద - కుంద flower
మాద్యత్ - intoxicating; maddening
ద్విరేపః - bee ("two-drinker")
మాద్యద్ద్విరేపే - where bees are intoxicated
కాలే - in the season/time
ప్రాలేయ - frost; snow
వాతః - wind
ప్రచల - moving; shaking
విలసితం - play; swaying
ఓదార - splendid
మందార - the మందార tree
ధామన్ - abode; region
మందారధామ్ని - in the region of మందార
ప్రాలేయవాతప్రచలవిలసితోదారమందారధామ్ని - in the splendid మందార groves swaying in the frosty wind
యేషాం - of those (for whom)
న - not
ఉ - indeed; even
నో - not indeed (poetic)
కంఠః - neck
లగ్నా - clinging
క్షణం - a moment
అపి - even
తుహిన - frost; snow
క్షోదః - rubbing; crushing
దక్షా - skilled
తుహినక్షోదదక్షా - skilled at rubbing away the cold
మృగాక్షీ - doe-eyed woman
తేసాం - for those
ఆయామః - long
యామా - night (watch)
ఆయామయామా - the long night
యమ - Yama (lord of death)
సదనం - abode; house
సమా - like
యమసదనసమా - like Yama's abode
యామినీ - night
యాతి - goes; passes
యూనాం - for youths

Translation (భావార్థ):
In the season when blossoms glow, bees grow intoxicated, and splendid groves sway in the frosty wind - for those youths whose doe-eyed beloved, skilled at rubbing away the cold, does not cling to their neck even for a moment, the long night passes like death's abode.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse says absence is not abstract; it is felt in the body. Cold makes the need for warmth immediate, so separation feels harsher. In practical terms, loneliness often intensifies at night, in winter, or during quiet moments when there is no distraction. The practical అనుసంధాన is to not romanticize suffering: build support, routines, and honest connection, so that longing does not turn into despair.

చుంబంతో గండభిత్తీరలకవతి ముఖే సీత్కృతాన్యాదధానా
వక్షఃసూత్కంచుకేషు స్తనభరపులకోద్భేదం ఆపాదయంతః ।
ఊరూనాకంపయంతః పృథుజఘనతటాత్స్రంసయంతోఽంశుకాని
వ్యక్తం కాంతాజనానాం విటచరితభృతః శైశిరా వాంతి వాతాః ॥ 2.99 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
చుంబంతః - kissing
గండః - cheek
భిత్తిః - wall
గండభిత్తీ - cheek-walls
అలకః - curl; lock of hair
వతి - possessing
అలకవతీ - curly-haired
ముఖే - on the face/mouth
సీత్కృతాని - hissing sounds (made in passion)
ఆదధానాః - producing; adopting
వక్షః - chest
ఉత్కంచుకః - tight bodice
సూత్కంచుకేషు - in tight bodices
స్తనః - breast
భరః - weight
పులకః - goosebumps
ఉద్భేదః - rising; manifestation
స్తనభరపులకోద్భేదం - making goosebumps rise on the breasts
ఆపాదయంతః - causing; producing
ఊరూన్ - thighs
ఆకంపయంతః - making tremble
పృథు - broad
జగనం - hips
తటా - slope/bank
పృథుజఘనతటా - the slope of broad hips
త్స్రంసయంతః - loosening; making slip down
అంశుకాని - garments
త్స్రంసయంతోఽంశుకాని - loosening garments (sandhi)
వ్యక్తం - clearly
కాంతాజనానాం - of beloved women
విటః - libertine; gallant
చరితం - behavior
భృతః - bearing
విటచరితభృతః - bearing the behavior of a libertine
శైశిర - winter
శైశిరాః - the winter (winds)
వాంతి - blow
వాతాః - winds

Translation (భావార్థ):
Surely the winter winds, bearing the behavior of a libertine among beloved women, blow: kissing the cheek-walls of their curly-haired faces and making them hiss; causing goosebumps to rise on breasts within tight bodices; making thighs tremble; and loosening garments from broad hips.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
Bhartruhari uses playful personification: cold wind "flirts" by forcing closeness. In the way we live now, weather can change relationship dynamics too - winter makes people seek warmth, sit closer, and become more affectionate. The practical అనుసంధాన is to let such natural moods deepen tenderness, while keeping respect and consent central; intimacy grows when it is mutual, not forced.

కేశానాకులయందృశో ముకులయన్వాసో బలాదాక్షిపన్నాతన్వన్
పులకోద్గమం ప్రకటయన్నావేగకంపం శనైః ।
బారం బారం ఉదారసీత్కృతకృతో దంతచ్ఛదాన్పీడయన్
ప్రాయః శైశిర ఏష సంప్రతి మరుత్కాంతాసు కాంతాయతే ॥ 2.100 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
కేశాన్ - hair
ఆకులయన్ - making disordered
దృశః - the eyes
ముకులయన్ - closing (like a bud)
వాసః - garment
బలాత్ - forcibly
ఆక్షిపన్ - pulling away
ఆతన్వన్ - producing
పులక - goosebumps
ఉద్గమః - arising
పులకోద్గమం - arising of goosebumps
ప్రకటయన్ - manifesting
ఆవేగః - sudden impulse; rush
కంపః - trembling
ఆవేగకంపం - trembling from a sudden rush
శనైః - slowly
బారం బారం - again and again
ఉదార - strong; loud
సీత్కృత - hissing sound
కృతః - making
ఉదారసీత్కృతకృతః - making loud hissing sounds
దంత - teeth
చ్ఛదః - covering (lip)
దంతచ్ఛదాన్ - the lips
పీడయన్ - pressing; biting
ప్రాయః - as if; almost
శైశిర - winter (cold season)
ఏషః - this
సంప్రతి - now
మరుత్ - wind
కాంతాసు - among beloved women
కాంతాయతే - behaves like a lover; becomes "beloved-like"

Translation (భావార్థ):
Now this winter wind behaves like a lover among women: it dishevels hair, closes eyes, snatches clothes by force, brings out goosebumps and tremors; again and again it makes loud hissing sounds and makes them bite their lips.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse shows Bhartruhari's eye for embodied detail: emotion is not only in the mind, it is in skin, breath, and reflex. At home and at work, we can notice how environment shapes behavior - cold makes people hold one another tighter, heat makes people restless, music changes posture and mood. The practical అనుసంధాన is to be mindful of these forces so you can respond consciously instead of being pushed unconsciously.

యద్యస్య నాస్తి రుచిరం తస్మింస్తస్య స్పృహా మనోజ్ఞేఽపి ।
రమణీయేఽపి సుధాంశౌ న మనఃకామః సరోజిన్యాః ॥ 2.101 ॥

ఛందః (మాత్రా-చందస్): This is in a మాత్రా-based Chandas/Meter (not a fixed అక్షర-count వృత్త): in this verse, the written segments carry approximately 30 + 28 మాత్రాః (total 58); treat లఘు=1 మాత్రా and గురు=2 మాత్రాః, and keep the natural pauses at the segment ends marked by `।`/`॥` (do not confuse దండ with internal యతి).

Meaning (పదార్థ):
యది - if
అస్య - of him; of a person
న - not
అస్తి - is
రుచిరం - liking; taste; attraction
తస్మిన్ - in that
తస్య - of him
స్పృహా - longing; desire
మనోజ్ఞే - in what is pleasing/beautiful
అపి - even (verse: మనోజ్ఞేఽపి = మనోజ్ఞే + అపి)
రమణీయే - in what is delightful
అపి - even (verse: రమణీయేఽపి = రమణీయే + అపి)
సుధా - nectar
అంశుః - ray
సుధాంశుః - the nectar-rayed one (the moon)
సుధాంశౌ - in the moon
న - not
మనః - mind
కామః - desire
మనఃకామః - desire of the mind
సరోజిని - lotus (water-lily)
సరోజిన్యాః - of the lotus

Translation (భావార్థ):
If a person has no liking for something, then there is no longing for it, even if it is beautiful. Even though the moon is lovely, the lotus has no desire for it.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
The verse is a reminder that attraction depends on రుచి (inner taste), not only on objective beauty. These days, we see this when a job, a lifestyle, or even a relationship that looks "perfect" from the outside does not pull us inwardly - and forcing ourselves usually creates resentment. The practical అనుసంధాన is to respect genuine inclination: choose environments and commitments that align with your nature, and allow others to have different tastes without judging them.

If you want this verse to uplift you: Treat desire as a signal, not a verdict. Attraction shows what the mind likes, but it does not decide what is right. Pause and ask: will this increase trust or reduce it; will it make tomorrow lighter or heavier? That small pause is వివేక (discernment). When you choose transparency and boundaries early, love stays dignified and does not turn into compulsion.

వైరాగ్యే సంచరత్యేకో నీతౌ భ్రమతి చాపరః ।
శృంగారే రమతే కశ్చిద్భువి భేదాః పరస్పరమ్ ॥ 2.102 ॥

Meaning (పదార్థ):
వైరాగ్యే - in dispassion; renunciation
సంచరతి - moves about; lives
ఏకః - one person
నీతౌ - in నీతి (ethics/practical wisdom)
భ్రమతి - wanders
చ - and
అపరః - another
శృంగారే - in love/romance (శృంగార)
రమతే - delights
కశ్చిత్ - someone
భువి - on earth
భేదాః - differences
పరస్పరం - among one another

Translation (భావార్థ):
One lives in renunciation, another wanders in practical ethics, and someone else delights in romance; on earth, people differ from one another.

Commentary (అనుసంధాన):
This is a calm closing: human minds are not uniform. When you look around today, this means we should not force one template on everyone - some value solitude and simplicity, some value duty and strategy, and some value relationship and beauty. The practical అనుసంధాన is to discern your own stage and temperament, and to relate to others with respect rather than comparison. When we stop demanding sameness, we cooperate better and suffer less.

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